Photocatalytic degradation of ceftiofur sodium using Au loaded Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles

•Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles have been synthesized using ultrasound technique.•Au loaded Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles have been synthesized and characterized.•Photocatalytic performance was investigated under visible light by degrading a pharmaceutical pollutant, ceftiofur sodium.

The Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles were prepared for the first time by ultrasound-assisted method, modified with gold (Au) nanoparticles, and characterized through TEM, EDAX, and XPS analyses. The photocatalytic performance of Au–Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles was investigated under visible light illumination to degrade a pharmaceutical pollutant, ceftiofur sodium (CFS). The Au–Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles own superior photocatalytic activities when compared to pristine Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles. The Au nanoparticles play a crucial role in the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and as a consequence Au–Bi2CuO4 nanoparticles can produce more hydroxyl radicals, which have been quantitatively identified by conducting fluorescence experiments with terephthalic acid as a probe molecule.

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