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Volume 31
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10.3390/molecules31010134
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin

by
Xiaoxing Zeng
1,
Kunlei Wang
1,
Hongting Ye
2,
Xiaofeng Gong
1,
Yanhong Yao
1 and
Fei Feng
1,*
1
School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
2
Nanchang City Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau, Nanchang 330031, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Molecules 2026, 31(1), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010134 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 22 November 2025 / Revised: 18 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 December 2025 / Published: 30 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Materials: Synthesis Strategies and Environmental Applications)
Versions Notes

Abstract

A novel recyclable composite, Fe3O4/chitin/BiOCl, was synthesized via a solvothermal approach using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (Bi(NO3)3·5H2O), chitin, and Fe3O4 as precursors. The composite was systematically characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Characterization results indicated that the incorporation of chitin significantly improved the porosity and specific surface area of the catalyst. Furthermore, the synergistic effects between chitin and Fe3O4 effectively reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated by degrading ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible-light irradiation. When the contents of Fe3O4 and chitin were 5% and 2% (by weight), respectively, the catalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance with a degradation rate of 89.54%, and the rate constant was 5.1 times higher than that of pure BiOCl. Additionally, the catalyst exhibited excellent magnetic recoverability and photocatalytic stability.
Keywords: Fe3O4/chitin/BiOCl composite; photocatalytic activity; ciprofloxacin degradation; magnetic recoverability; photocatalytic stability Fe3O4/chitin/BiOCl composite; photocatalytic activity; ciprofloxacin degradation; magnetic recoverability; photocatalytic stability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zeng, X.; Wang, K.; Ye, H.; Gong, X.; Yao, Y.; Feng, F. Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin. Molecules 2026, 31, 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010134

AMA Style

Zeng X, Wang K, Ye H, Gong X, Yao Y, Feng F. Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin. Molecules. 2026; 31(1):134. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010134

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zeng, Xiaoxing, Kunlei Wang, Hongting Ye, Xiaofeng Gong, Yanhong Yao, and Fei Feng. 2026. "Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin" Molecules 31, no. 1: 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010134

APA Style

Zeng, X., Wang, K., Ye, H., Gong, X., Yao, Y., & Feng, F. (2026). Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin. Molecules, 31(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010134

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