S-Scheme α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites as Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Antibiotic Degradation

The residue of antibiotics in the water has led to increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria, harm to human health, and damage to health-beneficial healthy bacteria. An idea of constructing S-scheme alpha-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites is studied toward a photocatalysis application for an efficient resolution of commercial antibiotics in wastewater. Outstanding S-scheme Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocatalysts are synthesized by a straightforward method and could easily improve the recycling property, thanks to magnetic materials. Empirical results indicate that S-scheme Fe2O3/g-C3N4 photocatalysts can degrade commercial cefalexin and amoxicillin (20 mg L-1) under visible light, with five and nine times higher performance than that of g-C3N4, respectively. Furthermore, the detailed evidence to propose S-scheme Fe2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions and comparison of photocatalytic performance in antibiotic degradation have also been mentioned in this study.

Automated summary

This study explores the idea of constructing nanocomposites for efficient degradation of commercial antibiotics in wastewater. The experimental results show that the synthesized S-scheme Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocatalysts can efficiently degrade antibiotics under visible light.