0D/1D AgI/MoO3 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst: Highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst for sulfamethoxazole degradation

Low dimension nano photocatalysts show great potential in the field of treating contaminated water for their large surface area and size effect. In this study, a 0D/1D AgI/MoO3 Z-scheme photocatalyst with striking photocatalytic performance was constructed successfully. The one-dimensional MoO3 nanobelts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method, and then it was modified by AgI nanoparticles in a handy deposition approach. When choosing sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) as the target contaminant, the rate constant value of the optimal 0D/1D AgI/MoO3 composite could hit up to 0.13 min−1, which is nearly 22.4 times and 32.5 times as that of pure MoO3 (0.0058 min−1) and AgI (0.0040 min−1), respectively. A series of detailed characterizations give evidences that the charge transfer in the composite followed Z scheme mechanism. Therefore, efficient separation/transfer and the remained high redox activity of photogenerated carriers played a vital role in the sharply enhanced photocatalytic properties. The possible degradation pathways of SMZ were proposed based on the intermediates detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Meanwhile, the magnificent cyclic stability makes the material a promising material in the practical application.