TiO2@g-C3N4 heterojunction with directional charge migration behavior for photodegradation of tetracycline antibiotics

The performance of semiconductor photocatalysts in organic contaminants degradation is strongly influenced by the structure-related charge separation behavior. Hence, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowire, which is efficient in directional migration of photocarriers, is prepared and employed as the carrier for the in situ growth of discrete graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to form a compact and high-reactive heterojunction photocatalyst. The structures and properties of the samples are systematically characterized and discussed. The experimental results indicate that the tetracycline photodegradation efficiency obtained by employing TiO2@g-C3N4 as the photocatalyst is improved by 126% and 75%, respectively, compared to that using TiO2 nanowire and bulk g-C3N4. This work highlights that precisely controlling the microstructure and charge separation behavior is critical for preparing high-reactive photocatalysts. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.