Novel self-propelled CuCr2O4-BiI3O9 nanojets for the efficient photodegradation of organics in wastewater: A non-genotoxic nanomaterial for water treatment

Antibiotic contamination as a result of disposal of untreated wastewater from hospitals can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study explored the photocatalytic remediation of antibiotics in water using CuCr2O4-BiI3O9 nanocomposite (NCs). The coupling of CuCr2O4 nanoflakes with BiI3O9 nanocubes resulted in formation of nano heterojunction for electron transfer pathway and displayed enhanced photodegradation of cefixime (CEF) by 98.2 % in 200 min under visible light irradiation. The NCs exhibits excellent photostability, reusability, enhanced charge carrier separation and good visible light absorption capacity than the pure nanoparticles (NPs). The scavenging experiment revealed that ?OH radical played a major role in cefixime photodegradation process. Furthermore, the NCs did not show any chromosomal abnormalities or micro nucleic formation in Allium cepa, suggesting the non-genotoxic nature of NCs. The effectiveness and non-toxic nature of the prepared nanomaterial makes it a promising technology for water remediation and can be extended to remove a wide range of toxic pollutants.