3D/2D CuBi2O4@Bi2O2CO3 Z-scheme heterojunction: The construction of adsorption-photocatalytic synergistic effect for tetracycline hydrochloride removal

To solve the contamination of organic antibiotics in water environment, the 3D/2D CuBi2O4@Bi2O2CO3 (CBO@BOC) hierarchical structure was constructed through the in situ growth of Bi2O2CO3 nanosheets on the surface of CuBi2O4 microspheres. The performance of the as-prepared CBO@BOC composites for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was investigated by varying the composition ratio, pH of the reaction system, initial pollutant concentration and anion interference. With the synergistic effects of adsorption and photocatalysis, the removal efficiency of CBO@BOC hierarchical composites was significantly improved, which achieved 90% for 20 mg/L TCH. In addition, the CBO@BOC composite also maintained excellent removal ability for TCH in different actual environments and exhibited good cycling stability. In the photocatalytic process,·O2- and h+ acted as the main active components to fully oxidize TCH, which constructed Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysis mechanism. This work pointed out a new perspective on hierarchical heterostructure for the effective removal of organic antibiotic contaminants via synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis effect.