Highly efficient CuO/Cu@PC composite membranes for the photocatalytic degradation and sorption of roxithromycin from aqueous solutions
Nurpeisova D.T. Mashentseva A.A. Abuova F. Aleskhanova S.H. Barsbay M.
June 2025Elsevier B.V.
Results in Materials
2025#26
This study presents an effective approach to synthesis, characterization, and application of composite polycarbonate (PC) track-etched membranes (TeMs) embedded with copper (Cu) and copper(II) oxide (CuO) microtubes (CuO/Cu@PC) for the efficient removal of the antibiotic roxithromycin (ROX) from aqueous solutions. Using an environmentally friendly glyoxylic acid-based deposition method, Cu microtubes were deposited onto the PC TeMs and subsequently thermally annealed to generate a catalytically active CuO phase. Comprehensive structural analyses (SEM, SEM-EDX, XRD, XPS, AFM) confirmed the successful transformation of Cu into CuO, enhancing the materials photocatalytic and sorptive performance. Under UV irradiation, the CuO/Cu@PC composites achieved a remarkable 96.8 % degradation of ROX within 180 min, significantly outperforming unannealed samples (85.9 %). Furthermore, adsorption studies demonstrated a maximum ROX uptake capacity of 410 mg/g at optimal pH 5.5, following a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm, suggesting a heterogeneous chemisorption process. The composite membranes exhibited outstanding long-term stability, maintaining over 85 % photocatalytic efficiency after 10 cycles. These results highlight the potential of CuO/Cu@PC membranes as highly effective and reusable materials for the sustainable removal of pharmaceutical contaminants, offering a scalable solution for water purification.
Catalytic degradation , Composite track-etched membrane , Electroless deposition , Roxithromycin removal , Sorption removal , Template synthesis , Thermal annealing
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Department of Chemistry, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, 010008, Kazakhstan
The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ibragimov str, 1, Almaty, 050032, Kazakhstan
Department of Nuclear Physics, New Materials, and Technologies, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasion National University, Astana, 010008, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06800, Turkey
Department of Chemistry
The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Department of Nuclear Physics
Department of Chemistry
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026