A double Z‐scheme catalyst BiOI/g‐C3N4/Bi2WO6 for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDTo enhance photocatalyst activity, a Z‐scheme ternary heterojunction of g‐C3N4 and BiOI co‐modified with Bi2WO6 (BiOI/g‐C3N4/Bi2WO6 (BCB)) was prepared. The double Z‐scheme catalyst is advantageous but not well studied for compositing low‐cost g‐C3N4 with Bi‐containing components such as BiOI and Bi2WO6.RESULTSFor g‐C3N4 and BiOI, we determined the optimal doping ratios of 3 wt% BiOI/10 wt% g‐C3N4 /Bi2WO6. It catalyzed almost complete degradation of (100 mg L−1) rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (95% in 20 min and 100% in 30 min), with a significant reaction kinetic constant of 0.245 min−1. The remaining high total organic carbon removal rate of RhB, even after five cycles of the experiment, and the good removal effect for different concentrations of tetracycline (TC) proved the effectiveness of the catalyst.CONCLUSIONThe e−, h+, and ·OH, ·O2− reactive species work together, leading to rapid pollutant degradation. The developed triple‐component double Z‐scheme heterojunction catalyst has promising applications in pollution control. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).