Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ceramics International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ceramint Immobilization of green BiOX (X= Cl, Br and I) photocatalysts on ceramic fibers for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants and efficient regeneration process Mohit Yadav a,b , Seema Garg a,* , Amrish Chandra c , Klara Hernadi d a Department of Chemistry, Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Noida, India b Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India c Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida, India d Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720, Szeged, Rerrichtér 1, Hungary ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Immobilization Bismuth oxyhalides Ceramic fiber Recalcitrant organic pollutants Photocatalysis ABSTRACT Visible-light-driven photocatalysis using BiOX (Cl, Br and I) have gained tremendous interest due to their effi- cient performance, unique optical properties, and high chemical stability. In the present approach, the BiOX (X = Cl, Br and I) were synthesized by Azadirachta indica (A.I.) leaf extract assisted hydrolysis route followed by their immobilization on Alumina (Al 2 O 3 )-based ceramic fiber sheet as supporting material. The main objective of the present work was to eliminate the separation problem of the powder photocatalysts from the aqueous medium and evaluate their efficacy for the photocatalytic disintegration of organic contaminants in the long run. Furthermore, the as-prepared BiOX-ceramic fiber (CerF) samples i.e. BiOCl-CerF, BiOBr-CerF, and BiOI-CerF were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and BET-technique, which suggested that the BiOX were successfully embedded in the host matrix of ceramic fibers with an enhanced specific surface area. The pho- tocatalytic activity of the BiOX-CerF samples was evaluated by varying operational parameters such as pH (2, 7 and 11), initial concentrations (20, 40 and 60 mg L -1 ) and in certain combinations. The results revealed that the higher pH value was more favorable for bisphenol A (BPA) and Ampicillin (AMP) degradation, while the MO was completely degraded at all pH range. Moreover, the stability test was performed and high stability of the im- mobilized samples was observed for five cycles without leaching out in the aqueous medium. The present study could offer new outcomes for advancing the large-scale applications of supported materials for environmental remediation. 1. Introduction Ampicillin, bisphenol A, and methyl orange are three of the most commonly known recalcitrant organic pollutants (ROPs), which have gained a lot of attention due to biomagnification, persistent char- acteristics and high level of vulnerability to the environment. Due to their large scale industrial and human life utilization, these ROPs are present in aquatic environments and possess the tendency to accumu- late for longer period of time without getting degraded under natural sunlight [1–3]. Therefore, an effective decontamination of ROPs from contaminated water bodies is paramount for wastewater treatment, and maintaining the ecological balance. In this regard, various conventional physicochemical methods such as flocculation, adsorption, extraction, and reverse osmosis, etc., simply convert the organic contaminants from one phase to another without disintegrating them. In addition, typical biological methods have also faced certain challenges in the degradation of ROPs due to their complex geometry, insufficient bio- degradability, and high toxicity [4–6]. Hence, an effective and efficient alternative advanced technique is of vital importance for the degrada- tion of ROPs. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis, with the virtues of un- sophisticated operation and high efficacy towards the degradation of toxic contaminants, has shown a promising solution for environmental remediation. In 1972, Honda et al. [7] first ever established the pho- tocatalytic water spitting, and since then semiconductor photocatalysis has been applied for numerous applications, for example, ecological remediation, combatting energy catastrophe, and other issues. Until now, numerous photocatalysts have been developed and employed for photocatalytic applications; however, these photocatalysts have faced certain limitations that are necessary to be overcome for practical https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.05.340 Received 30 April 2019; Received in revised form 27 May 2019; Accepted 30 May 2019 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: sgarg2@amity.edu (S. Garg). Ceramics International xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0272-8842/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Mohit Yadav, et al., Ceramics International, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.05.340