Photo-catalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin using Manganese and Cobalt Co-Doped Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (Mn-Co-TiO2)

Abstract

The presence of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) in wastewater sources is a major concern for the health of the aquatic system and the soil environment. Several attempts have been made for Ciprofloxacin detection in wastewater. This study reports the synthesis of a new catalyst called 'Manganese and Cobalt codoped titanium dioxide (Mn-Co-TiO2) nanoparticles' for photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin. Mn-Co-TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel method. The nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy for a functional group, Scanning Electron Microscopy for surface morphology, and X-Ray diffraction analysis for crystallinity. Various parameters such as solution pH, ultraviolet (UV) light exposure time, and initial drug concentrations were optimized for quantitative percent degradation. Moreover, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were also calculated under optimized experimental conditions. The kinetic data show that the degradation of CIP by Mn-Co-TiO₂ follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The proposed method was successfully applied to commercial formulations like Cipro, Cipro XR, and ProQuin XR with satisfied addiction recovery results.