Ultrathin carbon-coated Zr3+-ZrO2 nanostructures for efficient visible light photocatalytic antibiotic elimination

Broadband solar light absorption and visible light photocatalysis of surface modified ultrawide bandgap semiconductors are receiving wide attentions because of their more negative conduction band potential and positive valence band potential for refractory organics degradation. Here, we reported a novel modified solvothermal strategy by the introduction of distilled water into small molecular alcohols to synthesize crystallized carboncoated Zr3+-ZrO2 composites for enhanced visible light absorption and visible light photocatalytic tetracycline degradation, in which the distilled water favored for the crystallization of Zr3+-ZrO2 and the formed ultrathin carbon layers derived from the polymerization of small molecular alcohols were contributing to the generation of Zr3+ species and well dispersion of Zr3+ self-doped ZrO2 nanoparticles. The experimental results also showed that carbon-coated Zr3+-ZrO2 composites exhibited enhanced visible light absorption, long-lived charges, efficient visible light photocatalytic performance and good recyclable stability. Besides, possible photocatalytic mechanism and antibiotic degradation pathways over carbon-coated Zr3+-ZrO2 composites under visible light irradiation were also proposed in detail.

Automated summary

This study introduces a novel modified solvothermal strategy to synthesize carbon-coated Zr3+-ZrO2 composites with enhanced visible light absorption and photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. Results demonstrate that the carbon-coated Zr3+-ZrO2 composites exhibit efficient visible light photocatalytic performance and recyclable stability. The possible photocatalytic mechanism and degradation pathways of antibiotics under visible light irradiation were also proposed in detail.