Employing noble-metal-free LaCoO3 as a highly efficient co-catalyst to boost visible-light photocatalytic tetracycline degradation over SnS2

Abstract

• A unique 0D/2D LaCoO 3 /SnS 2 hybrid was prepared by a facile solvothermal method. • LaCoO 3 /SnS 2 showed much boosted visible-light photocatalytic TC degradation rate. • The enhanced activity was ascribed to LaCoO 3 as co-catalyst to capture electrons. • A rational photocatalytic mechanism of TC degradation was proposed. Perovskite-type LaCoO 3 nanoparticles were successfully decorated on the surface of SnS 2 nanosheets served as highly efficient noble-metal-free co-catalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. Noticeably, the optimized TC degradation rate of the resultant LaCoO 3 (10.0 wt%)/SnS 2 hybrid could reach 0.0049 min −1 , which was up to 7.0 times greater than that of single SnS 2 (0.0007 min −1 ). Such a remarkable enhancement could be attributed to LaCoO 3 co-catalysts acted as effective electron collectors for rapid capturing the photogenerated electrons from SnS 2 surface, which effectively accelerated the charge carriers separation and transfer. Moreover, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed.