Mishra, Ajay KumarMabape, Kgaugelo S.Mishra, Shivani BhardwajMoloto, Makwena Justice2024-11-142024-11-142024Mabape, K.S., Mishra, S.B., Mishra, A.K. and Moloto, M.J., 2024. Sunlight-driven charge separation for a heterojunction of nano-pyramidal CuWO4-MOF modified TiO2 nanoflakes for photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin. Chemical Papers, 78(15), pp.8417-8432.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-024-03686-xhttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/19678The study presents a breakthrough of a balanced charge separation for heterojunction CuWO4-TiO2 cocatalyst to efficiently enhance visible light photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). A solvothermal-synthesized nanopyramid-like CuWO4 semiconductor was assembled before sol–gel treatment with TiO2 precursors to generate CuWO4-TiO2 nanocomposites. The optical, structural, and morphological properties of CuWO4-TiO2 were elucidated using UV–Vis DRS, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and TEM/SEM techniques. The UV–Vis DRS spectroscopy of as-synthesized CuWO4-TiO2 cocatalyst demonstrated enhanced visible light absorbance. The XRD patterns of CuWO4-TiO2 revealed a triclinic phase nanocrystal. The O-Ti–O functionality was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The photoactive bands corresponding to anatase redshift were observed from Raman spectroscopy of CuWO4-TiO2 nanocomposite. The PL studies attributed this redshift to the elevated extra energy bands that aid electron/hole pair charge separation in a co-catalyst heterojunction CuWO4-TiO2 nanocomposite afforded by embedding CuWO4-MOF within TiO2 crystalline.enCiprofloxacin photodegradationCuWO4 semiconductorCuWO4-TiO2 nanocompositeElectron/hole charge pair separationTiO2 nanoparticlesArticle