Antibiotics contamination in water bodies poses a significant threat to public health and the environment,
necessitating advanced methods for their removal from wastewater. In response to this issue, developing a novel
magnetic nanocomposite (RGO/CuFe2O4@Ag2S) as an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of pharmaceuticals
like ciprofloxacin (CIP) is of great importance. The synthesized nanocomposite underwent comprehensive
characterization to elucidate its crystalline structure, chemical bonding, surface morphology, elemental
composition, internal structure, optical properties, surface area, particle size distribution, and magnetic properties.
Under optimized conditions (pH = 9, nanocomposite dose = 0.5 g/L, CIP concentration of 20 mg/L, and
duration of 200 min), the nanocomposite demonstrated complete degradation of CIP. Moreover, post-treatment
analysis revealed significant reductions in total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of
70.08 % and 85.08 %, respectively, indicating extensive mineralization of the antibiotic. Mechanistic investigations
revealed a unique S-scheme heterojunction in the RGO/CuFe2O4@Ag2S nanocomposite, where RGO
acts as an electronic bridge between CuFe2O4 and Ag2S. This innovative architecture facilitates efficient charge
separation and transfer, significantly enhancing the photocatalytic activity. Reusability tests demonstrated the
robust nature of the photocatalyst, with only a modest 6 % decline in efficiency after six consecutive cycles. To
further assess the system’s effectiveness in real-world applications, its performance was evaluated in treating
pharmaceutical wastewater. The biodegradation efficiency was quantified by measuring the Average O
