sorbitol-ignited microwave combustion synthesis of dual-phase cuo-cual2o4 nanophotocatalyst: a green route to antibiotic degradation under simulated sunlight

The increasing contamination of water resources by persistent antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin has raised serious environmental concerns. in this work, a dual-phase cuo- cual2o4 nanophotocatalyst was fabricated through a microwave-assisted combustion process using sorbitol as a green fuel and applied for the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin under simulated solar light. structural analyses confirmed the coexistence of monoclinic cuo and cubic spinel cual2o4 phases with a porous morphology resulting from gas evolution during combustion. the optimized photocatalyst achieved a 63.6% remediation efficiency after 180 minutes of illumination, demonstrating considerable solar-light responsiveness. the enhanced photocatalytic performance is primarily attributed to the synergistic interaction between cuo and cual2o4 phases, high surface area, and improved charge carrier separation. these findings highlight the potential of sorbitol-fueled microwave-combusted cuo-cual2o4 as an efficient nanophotocatalyst for the remediation of antibiotic-contaminated water systems.