Enhanced photo-fenton degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using type-II magnetic FeP/Cu2O heterojunction catalysts

Antibiotic contamination poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating efficient wastewater treatment technologies. The degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was investigated using a magnetic FeP/Cu₂O composite via a photo-Fenton process in this study. The composite was synthesized through chemical precipitation and characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and XPS, which confirmed the successful formation of a p-n heterojunction. The Fe₁Cu₁ composite exhibited superior photo-Fenton performance, achieving 94.7% TCH degradation under visible light within 60 min, which outperformed its individual components, FeP and Cu₂O. Key factors such as catalyst dosage, H₂O₂ concentration, pH (2.2-11.2), and temperature were optimized, which demonstrated the system's broad applicability and stability. Radical trapping and EPR analyses identified •OH as the dominant reactive species. The heterojunction was responsible for enhancing charge separation and Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ cycling, while Cu₂O improved visible-light utilization. The catalyst maintained over 80% degradation efficiency for TCH after five cycles and showed strong resilience to coexisting inorganic ions. This study provides a promising strategy for designing robust, pH-tolerant catalysts for antibiotic degradation in wastewater.