DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.20615

Hybrid TiO₂@SiO₂ Green Hydrogel Nanocatalyst for High-efficiency Photocatalytic Oxidation of Ciprofloxacin under UV Irradiation: Experimentation and RSM Optimization

1University of Naama, BP 66, Naama, Algeria

2Laboratory of Materials Chemistry, University of Oran, BP 1524 El-Menouer, Oran, Algeria

3Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry and Environment, University of Tlemcen, BP 119,13000-Tlemcen, Algeria

4 Chemical Engineering Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Jakarta Pusat 10510, Indonesia

5 Scientific and Technical Research Center on Arid Regions (CRSTRA), Biskra, Algeria

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Received: 1 Jan 2026; Revised: 25 Jan 2026; Accepted: 27 Jan 2026; Available online: 13 Feb 2026; Published: 30 Aug 2026.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

A TiO₂@SiO₂ hydrogel nanocomposite was synthesized via a green sol-gel route for the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin using a UVA/H2O2 system. The catalyst was optimized via RSM (response surface methodology), identifying UVA irradiation (365 nm) and pH of 5.6 as key parameters, achieving >89% degradation within 180. Characterisation confirmed homogeneous TiO₂ dispersion within a porous SiO₂ matrix. Kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order Langmuir–Hinshelwood model, and the catalyst retained high activity over five reuse cycles. This study introduces a UVA-optimized, RSM-guided photocatalytic system using a green-synthesized TiO₂@SiO₂ hydrogel –distinguished by its integrated process design, operational simplicity, and focus on solar-compatible UVA rather than conventional UVC-driven TiO2@SiO2 systems. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP); Ciprofloxacin Degradation; Photocatalysis ; Response Surface Methodology (RSM); Tio2@Sio2 Nanocomposite.
Funding: University Center Salhi Ahmed Naama; University of Tlemcen

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Section: Original Research Articles
Language : EN
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