Enhancing the catalytic degradation of tetracycline over Bi2SiO5 under visible light: Synergistic interaction of dopants with oxygen vacancies

Abstract

Photocatalytic technology is currently recognized as a powerful means of removing tetracycline (TC), yet finding catalysts that are both respond to visible light and consistently efficient and stable remains challenging. Herein, we employed a hydrothermal technique to add phosphate adulterants and created oxygen vacancies (OVs) using NaBH4 to create composites (3 % PBSOV) for the investigation. The photocatalytic degradation of TC (40 mg/L) by OVs was created solely, phosphate adulterants were introduced only, and composites (3 % PBSOV) were improved by 4.05, 3.75, and 6.66 times compared to pristine Bi2SiO5 (BSO), respectively. The results reveal that phosphate adulterants and OVs have a synergistic impact in that they may control the valence band positions and promote photogenerated carrier separation, increasing the photocatalytic activity of the BSO. The EPR and quenching experiments confirm that 1O2, •O2−, and •OH were the active substances in the degradation of TC, and the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of TC by 3 % PBSOV was explored. This study shows how to use the synergistic impact of OVs and phosphate adulterants to boost the efficacy of BSO photocatalytic TC degradation. It provides a new way to solve the environmental problems such as tetracycline residues.