ABSTRACT A sustainable and metal‐free sulfur‐doped reduced graphene oxide (S@RGO) nanocomposite was synthesized using Moringa oleifera leaf extract to evaluate its efficiency in photocatalytically degrading ciprofloxacin (CIP). The efficient integration of sulfur into the reduced graphene oxide structure was confirmed by sharp and well‐defined peaks from powder x‐ray diffraction (XRD). Energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) disclosed the elemental composition. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) discovered important functional groups. Under visible light irradiation, the porous S@RGO demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic activity due to its large specific surface area of 223 m 2 /g and strong structural integrity. Notably, a degradation efficiency of 97.8% was attained with just 20 mg of S@RGO needed to break down 50 mL of 10 mg/L CIP in 120 min. This high performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of sulfur doping and porosity, which enhance visible light absorption and promote efficient charge carrier separation. The proposed mechanism involves visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic degradation. These findings highlight the potential of bioengineered S@RGO as a green, sustainable photocatalyst for the removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from aqueous environments.
Gayathri et al. (Sun,) studied this question.