Copper Ferrite-Loaded Polyethersulfone Mixed Matrix Membranes for Photocatalytic Chloramphenicol Degradation

<title>Abstract</title> <p> Chloramphenicol residues from aquaculture can persist in wastewater and aquatic products, posing health risks and leading to trade restrictions. Photocatalytic mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) that combine filtration with contaminant degradation are therefore promising for antibiotic-removal applications. In this study, copper ferrite (CuFe ₂ O ₄ ) was incorporated into polyethersulfone (PES) to fabricate PES/CuFe ₂ O ₄ MMMs for chloramphenicol degradation in water. The membranes were prepared as flat sheets by casting and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, particle size analysis, specific surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement, porosity testing, water-flux measurement, tensile testing, and photocatalytic degradation experiments. The presence of Fe–O and Cu–O bands confirmed CuFe ₂ O ₄ into the membrane matrix. The synthesized CuFe ₂ O ₄ had a crystallinity index of 22.86% and an average particle size of 368.76 nm. The optimized membrane exhibited a porosity of 27.07% and pure-water flux of 61.40 L m⁻ ² h⁻ ¹ . Under optimal conditions (M3 membrane, 10 g CuFe ₂ O ₄ , pH 6, 20 mg L⁻ ¹ initial chloramphenicol concentration, and 180 min irradiation), the PES/CuFe ₂ O ₄ MMM degraded 87.65% of the chloramphenicol. The adsorption behavior was best described by the Freundlich model, and photodegradation followed first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 2.22 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻ ¹ . These findings indicate that PES/CuFe ₂ O ₄ MMMs are promising photocatalytic membranes for treating antibiotic-contaminated water. </p>