Designing interfacial chemical bond by anchoring defective CeO2-x nanorods with bismuth-rich Bi4O5Br2 nanosheets: Modulated Z-scheme charge transfer for photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic

Exploring and implementing precise carrier-transfer channels in the interface of Z-scheme heterojunctions are crucial and considered significant challenges. Here, a one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) heterostructure Z-scheme photocatalyst was constructed by in situ growing of defective CeO_2-x nanorods on the surface of Bi-rich Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanosheets, which was coordinated by the interface bonding and the dual oxygen vacancies for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. Both experimental results and theoretical calculations elucidated that the compact 1D/2D structure and dual oxygen vacancies induced interfacial Br-O-Ce bond to act as charge bridges providing direct ohmic contacts, thus realizing a Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism that promoted effective charge separation and maximized the redox capacity. Meanwhile, the surface potential was 31.92 mV, indicating the creation of a strong interface electric field (IEF). As part of the strong synergy of the Br-O-Ce bond, IEF and dual oxygen vacancies, the optimal defective CeO_2-x@Bi-rich Bi₄O₅Br₂ exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and 85.40 % tetracycline (TC) was decomposed within 40 min, which was 65.7 and 2.1 times higher than CeO_2-x and Bi₄O₅Br₂, respectively. Besides, electrons quickly migrated through the formed Br-O-Ce bonds to the catalytic sites, accelerating charge separation. Our findings can provide new insights to develop the interfacial chemical bond and dual oxygen vacancies modulated Z‐scheme charge transfer for efficient photocatalysis.