Immobilization of BiOBr into cellulose acetate matrix as hybrid film photocatalyst for facile and multicycle degradation of ciprofloxacin

Abstract A series of BiOBr/cellulose acetate (CA) composite films were prepared via solution casting method by dispersing BiOBr in the CA casting solution. Pristine BiOBr was initially synthesized via room-temperature solid state synthesis and was subsequently added into the CA casting solution in different concentrations. The phase, structural, surface, optical and thermal properties of the as-synthesized films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the results confirmed the successful immobilization of BiOBr into CA film. The efficiency of the BCA composite films towards degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic was tested under compact fluorescent light and was found to increase with increase in concentration of BiOBr. Moreover, the BCA composite film is easy to use, remained stable and exhibited high efficiency even after 10-cycle.