Ti3C2Tx as electron-hole transfer mediators to enhance AgBr/BiOBr Z heterojunction photocatalytic for the degradation of Tetrabromobisphenol A: Mechanism Insight

In this study, BiOBr/Ti3C2Tx/AgBr ternary materials were successfully synthesized by a two-step method. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared materials was systematically evaluated. The results showed excellent light trapping ability and carrier separation efficiency of prepared BiOBr/Ti3C2Tx/AgBr, the photodegradation efficiency of TBBPA was 97.16% within 60 min, and the degradation rate was 1.8 times higher than BiOBr/AgBr. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of BiOBr/Ti3C2Tx/AgBr is attributed to the increased light-harvesting capacity and the fast transport and separation of photogenerated electron-hole in the Z-scheme structure. In situ irradiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISI-XPS) successfully revealed Ti3C2Tx as a channel for rapid electron-hole transfer in Z-scheme heterojunctions. In addition, the TBBPA degradation pathways and toxicity changes were further explored by LC-MS and toxicity assessment. Ti3C2Tx as an electron-hole transfer medium for the construction of Z-scheme photocatalysts can provide new ideas for the structural design of new high-efficiency photocatalysts.