Efficient photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin by graphite felt-supported MnS/Polypyrrole composite: Dominant reactive species and reaction mechanisms

The accumulation of antibiotics in aquatic environments poses a serious threat to human health. Photocatalytic degradation is a promising method for removing antibiotics from water, but its practical implementation requires improvements in photocatalyst activity and recovery. Here, a novel graphite felt-supported MnS/Polypyrrole composite (MnS/PPy/GF) was constructed to achieve effective adsorption of antibiotics, stable loading of photocatalyst, and rapid separation of spatial charge. Systematic characterization of composition, structure and photoelectric properties indicated the efficient light absorption, charge separation and migration of the MnS/PPy/GF, which achieved 86.2% removal of antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CFX), higher than that of MnS/GF (73.7%) and PPy/GF (34.8%). The charge transfer-generated 1O2, energy transfer-generated 1O2, and photogenerated h+ were identified as the dominant reactive species, which mainly attacked the piperazine ring in the photodegradation of CFX by MnS/PPy/GF. The •OH was confirmed to participate in the defluorination of CFX via hydroxylation substitution. The MnS/PPy/GF-based photocatalytic process could ultimately achieve the mineralization of CFX. The facile recyclability, robust stability, and excellent adaptability to actual aquatic environments further confirmed MnS/PPy/GF is a promising eco-friendly photocatalyst for antibiotic pollution control.