Visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation of doxycycline using ZnO/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/biochar composite in aqueous solution

In the present work, ZnO/<i>g</i>-C₃N₄/biochar was prepared, and it was used for visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation of some colorants (methylene blue, rhodamine B, methyl orange) and some antibiotics (doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, amoxicilline). Biochar was prepared by pyrolysing <i>Phragmites australis</i> biomass. The ZnO/<i>g</i>-C₃N₄/biochar composite was synthesized with the alkaline hydrolysis method. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transition electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray/elemental mapping, ultraviolet-visible-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that ZnO nanoparticles with a large surface area are highly dispersed on the <i>g</i>-C₃N₄ particle surface and biochar. The composite exhibits superior photocatalytic degradation ability toward doxycycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic of the tetracycline compared with individual components (ZnO or <i>g</i>-C₃N₄) and satisfies stability after six treatment cycles. The kinetics and degradation mechanisms of doxycyline were also addressed. In addition, the present catalyst also exhibits the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, rhodamine B, methyl orange, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin in visible-light regions.