Visible-light driven p-n heterojunction formed between α-Bi2O3 and Bi2O2CO3 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

To improve the efficiency of photocatalytic oxidative degradation of antibiotic pollutants, it is essential to develop an efficient and stable photocatalyst. In this study, a polymer-assisted facile synthesis strategy is proposed for the polymorph-controlled alpha-Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction retained at elevated calcination temperatures. The p-n heterojunction can effectively separate and migrate electron-hole pairs, which improves visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation from tetracycline (TC). The BO-400@PAN-140 photocatalyst achieves the highest pollutant removal efficiency of 98.21% for photocatalytic tetracycline degradation in 1 h (lambda > 420 nm), and the degradation efficiency was maintained above 95% after 5 cycles. The morphology, crystal structure, and chemical state of the composites were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection, transient photocurrent response, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were adopted to identify the charge transfer and separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The EPR results verified h(+) and OH radicals as the primary active species in the photocatalytic oxidation reactions. This observation was also consistent with the results of radical trapping experiments. In addition, the key intermediate products of the photocatalytic degradation of TC over BO-400@PAN-140 were identified via high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, which is compatible with two possible photocatalytic reaction pathways. This work provides instructive guidelines for designing heterojunction photocatalysts via a polymer-assisted semiconductor crystallographic transition pathway for TC degradation into cleaner production.

Automated summary

A polymer-assisted synthesis strategy was used to create a polymorph-controlled alpha-Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction, which improved the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline pollutants. The p-n heterojunction effectively separated and migrated electron-hole pairs, leading to a high removal efficiency of 98.21% for tetracycline degradation within 1 hour. The study also identified the primary active species and intermediate products involved in the photocatalytic oxidation reactions.