Construction of novel symmetric double Z-scheme BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3 photocatalyst with enhanced solar-light-driven photocatalytic performance for degradation of norfloxacin

A symmetric double Z-scheme BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3 with enhanced solar photocatalytic performance was fabricated, and employed in the photodegradation of norfloxacin. The photocatalytic performances of BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3, BiFeO3, CuBi2O4 and BaTiO3 were compared. Also, the mechanism on the symmetric double Zscheme BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3 photocatalytic system was proposed. The results display that BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3 has more superior photocatalytic performance, which results from the construction of the symmetric double Z-scheme photocatalyst. Its light absorption range is extended to UV-vis and near-infrared (NIR) light, which effectively utilizes the whole solar light spectrum. Especially, the large VB oxidation surface of this composite photocatalyst promotes e(-)-h(+) separation and improves the oxidation-reduction ability. Also, BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3 can be recycled with superior stability for 5 cycles. Furthermore, in the photodegradation, the h(+) and center dot OH play major roles, while the center dot O-2(-) plays little role. Hence, the BiFeO3/CuBi2O4/BaTiO3/solar light technology has great application prospects in the treatment of contaminated wastewater with antibiotics.