2D/2D BiOCl/K+Ca2Nb3O10- heterostructure with Z-scheme charge carrier transfer pathways for tetracycline degradation under simulated solar light

2D/2D heterostructures have attracted considerable attention in photocatalysis field owing to their superior charge separation efficiency, but the construction of highly efficient 2D/2D heterostructures photocatalysts remains challenging. In this work, novel 2D/2D heterostructures comprising of BiOCl/K+Ca2Nb3O10- nanosheets were successfully constructed via a facile hydrothermal approach. The resultant 2D/2D BiOCl/K+Ca2Nb3O10- heterostructures performed the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under simulated sunlight irradiation, and the catalytic performance of the optimal heterostructures with 40 wt% of BiOCl (marked as BK-40) was 6.41 and 1.75 times than that of pristine BiOCl and K+Ca2Nb3O10-, respectively. Based on the photoluminescence and photo-electrochemical analyses, the improved photocatalytic performance is primarily due to the synergistic effect of the heterostructures which could contribute to the efficient separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. A direct Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism was proposed. In addition, the possible degradation route of TC was proposed based on the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry results. This work provides a new protocol for the rational design and construction of high-performance 2D/2D Z-scheme heterostructure photocatalysts for environmental remediation.