Abstract
A Z-scheme polypyrrole/Bi2SiO5 heterojunction rich in oxygen vacancies was prepared by combining the organic polymer polypyrrole with Bi2SiO5 via a hydrothermal method and an oxidative polymerization reaction. The photocatalyst exhibited good stability in water and effectively degraded tetracycline, oxytetracycline, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and doxycycline under simulated sunlight, indicating its excellent potential for wastewater treatment. In particular, the efficiency of tetracycline removal by the optimized polypyrrole/Bi2SiO5 composite after 120 min of irradiation was 93.1%, approximately 2.1 times that of Bi2SiO5. The exceptional photocatalytic performance of polypyrrole/Bi2SiO5 stemmed from the construction of a Z-scheme heterostructure and generation of oxygen vacancies induced by the introduction of polypyrrole. Furthermore, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to investigate the intermediate products of tetracycline degradation, and possible degradation pathways were deduced. Finally, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the results of electron paramagnetic resonance and free radical capture experiments.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
