TY - JOUR
T1 - Photocatalytic removal of tetracycline by a Z-scheme heterojunction of bismuth oxyiodide/exfoliated g-C3N4
T2 - performance, mechanism, and degradation pathway
AU - Liu, Hui
AU - Huo, Wangchen
AU - Zhang, Tian C.
AU - Ouyang, Like
AU - Yuan, Shaojun
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are extremely appreciative of the National Key Research and Development Project of China ( 2019YFC1906404 ) and Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Icing and Anti/De-icing(Grant No. IADL20190305) for funding this study. The authors are also grateful for Dr. Xiang Lin, Dr. Ji Li, Mr Yuanlong Wang, and Dr. Wei Jiang from the Engineering Teaching Center, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University for the FT-IR, Zeta potential, ESR, TEM and LC-MS characterization, Mr Zhang San from the Shiyanjia Lab (http//: www.shiyanjia.com ) for TEM imaging and XPS measurements, and Dr. Yingming Zhu from the Institute of New Energy and Low Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, for XRD, UV–vis DRS and SEM characterizations.
Funding Information:
The authors are extremely appreciative of the National Key Research and Development Project of China (2019YFC1906404) and Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Icing and Anti/De-icing(Grant No. IADL20190305) for funding this study. The authors are also grateful for Dr. Xiang Lin, Dr. Ji Li, Mr Yuanlong Wang, and Dr. Wei Jiang from the Engineering Teaching Center, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University for the FT-IR, Zeta potential, ESR, TEM and LC-MS characterization, Mr Zhang San from the Shiyanjia Lab (http//: www.shiyanjia.com) for TEM imaging and XPS measurements, and Dr. Yingming Zhu from the Institute of New Energy and Low Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, for XRD, UV?vis DRS and SEM characterizations.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Antibiotics, once being released into the environment, become recalcitrant organic pollutants, which pose a potential risk to ecological balance and human health. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction of bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI)/exfoliated g-C3N4 (BiOI/ECN hereafter) was synthesized by the combination of thermal exfoliation of g-C3N4 and chemical precipitation of BiOI for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation. The optimized BiOI/ECN delivered an outstanding degradation rate at circa 0.0705 min−1, which was 10 times higher than that of the bulk g-C3N4. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of tetracycline remained almost unchanged in a pH range of 3–11, and the BiOI/ECN displayed an excellent photostability upon recycled usage. The photocatalytic mechanism of tetracycline was ascribed to the main reactive oxidation species of photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals. In addition, the possible degradation pathways of tetracycline were investigated by HPLC-MS to identify intermediates. The toxicity of photocatalytic-generated intermediates of tetracycline was found significantly alleviated according to the calculation of quantitative structure–activity relationship prediction. This work not only provides an attractive photocatalyst for the removal of tetracycline but also opens a new avenue for rational design of Z-scheme heterojunction composites for tetracycline degradation.
AB - Antibiotics, once being released into the environment, become recalcitrant organic pollutants, which pose a potential risk to ecological balance and human health. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction of bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI)/exfoliated g-C3N4 (BiOI/ECN hereafter) was synthesized by the combination of thermal exfoliation of g-C3N4 and chemical precipitation of BiOI for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation. The optimized BiOI/ECN delivered an outstanding degradation rate at circa 0.0705 min−1, which was 10 times higher than that of the bulk g-C3N4. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of tetracycline remained almost unchanged in a pH range of 3–11, and the BiOI/ECN displayed an excellent photostability upon recycled usage. The photocatalytic mechanism of tetracycline was ascribed to the main reactive oxidation species of photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals. In addition, the possible degradation pathways of tetracycline were investigated by HPLC-MS to identify intermediates. The toxicity of photocatalytic-generated intermediates of tetracycline was found significantly alleviated according to the calculation of quantitative structure–activity relationship prediction. This work not only provides an attractive photocatalyst for the removal of tetracycline but also opens a new avenue for rational design of Z-scheme heterojunction composites for tetracycline degradation.
KW - BiOI
KW - Photocatalysis
KW - Tetracycline degradation
KW - Z-scheme heterojunction
KW - g-CN
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122323849&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85122323849&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mtchem.2021.100729
DO - 10.1016/j.mtchem.2021.100729
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122323849
SN - 2468-5194
VL - 23
JO - Materials Today Chemistry
JF - Materials Today Chemistry
M1 - 100729
ER -