Das, ShubhasikhaShubhasikhaDasSanjay, M.M.SanjaySingh Gautam, Abhay RajAbhay RajSingh GautamBehera, RakeshRakeshBeheraTiwary, Chandra SekharChandra SekharTiwaryChowdhury, ShamikShamikChowdhury2025-08-312025-08-312023-09-1510.1016/j.jenvman.2023.1180812-s2.0-85158873059http://repository.iitgn.ac.in/handle/IITG2025/2664037182480The incessant accumulation of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in various environmental compartments represents a global menace. Herein, an equimolar high entropy alloy (HEA), i.e., FeCoNiCuZn, is synthesized via a facile and scalable method, and its effectiveness in eliminating four different PhACs from aqueous matrices is rigorously examined. Attributing to its relatively low bandgap and multielement active sites, the as-synthesized quinary HEA demonstrates more pronounced photocatalytic decomposition efficiency, towards tetracycline (86%), sulfamethoxazole (94%), ibuprofen (80%), and diclofenac (99%), than conventional semiconductor-based photocatalysts, under visible light irradiation. Additionally, radical trapping assays are conducted, and the dissociation intermediates are identified, to probe the plausible photocatalytic degradation pathways. Further, the end-products of FeCoNiCuZn-mediated photocatalysis are apparently non-toxic, and the HEA can be successfully recycled repeatedly, with no obvious leaching of heavy metal ions. Overall, the findings of this study testify the applicability of FeCoNiCuZn as a visible light-active photocatalyst, for treating wastewaters contaminated with PhACs.falseDegradation mechanism | Heterogeneous photocatalysis | High entropy alloys | Pharmaceutical residues | Visible lightArticle1095863015 September 202335118081arJournal35WOS:000998157600001