Coral like g-C3N4/Br-Bi2O2CO3 type-II heterojunction with efficient photocatalytic performance and mechanism for degradation of tetracycline

Abstract

Photocatalytic technology is an effective strategy to address the proliferation of antibiotics. In this study, a coral-like g-C₃N₄/Br-Bi₂O₂CO₃ (C-CN/Br-BOC) photocatalyst with a type-Ⅱ heterojunction was constructed for efficient degradation of tetracycline (TC). The as-prepared C-CN/Br-BOC composites showed excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of tetracycline. The degradation efficiency of 0.7C-CN/Br-BOC photocatalyst reached 94.2 % within 120 min, and the catalytic performance and crystal structure remained stable after 5 cycles. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of type-II heterojunction and the successful doping of Br elements, which significantly improves the separation ability and electron mobility of the electron-hole pairs produced by photons. In addition, the photocatalytic mechanism of C-CN/Br-BOC heterojunction and degradation pathways of TC are also proposed.