Hydrothermal synthesis of Z-scheme photocatalyst Zn2SnO4-g-C3N4 for efficient tetracycline antibiotic removal

Abstract

Photocatalysis is a promising green technique to eliminate pollutants for environmental remediation so that the design of proficient photocatalyst stands on the cutting edge of material science. In this work, the visible light-responsive Zn2SnO4-g-C3N4 (ZSC) photocatalyst is synthesized using a simple one-step hydrothermal method without any surfactant. The physical and chemical characteristics of the synthesized composites are investigated. The ZSC composites demonstrate significant improvement in visible-light driven photocatalytic performance towards the degradation of tetracycline antibiotics. The formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction plays a crucial role in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of the composites. This work provides the design and preparation of direct Z-scheme photocatalysts using a simple hydrothermal method for environmental remediation.