Enhanced tetracycline photocatalytic degradation of FeOx/Fe-Bi2O2CO3 synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method

Abstract

As an effective method to reduce the antibiotic contamination in water, photocatalysis has been widely investigated. Here, we report a preparation and tetracycline photodegradation of FeOx/Fe-Bi2O2CO3 system. The system consists of FeOx nanoparticles deposited on Fe-doped Bi2O2CO3. We used a simple one-step hydrothermal technique to successfully dope Fe into the Bi2O2CO3 lattice and simultaneously deposit FeOx. Based on experiments and calculations, it is found that incorporation of Fe in Bi2O2CO3 lattice results in a preferential growth of {001} facets, which are the active facets for photocatalytic reactions, and an increased light absorption in visible region. Additionally, FeOx nanoparticles increase light absorption and carriers’ generation via an interfacial charge transfer. Moreover, FeOx acts as cocatalyst to trap photogenerated electrons and holes, reducing the carriers’ recombination. A combination of positive effects from both Fe doping and FeOx deposition increase tetracycline photodegradation performance by two to three times compared to the pristine Bi2O2CO3. Thus, this work provides an easy-to-prepare and enhanced Bi2O2CO3 – based photocatalysts, which could benefit the future development of other materials in the field.