Ternary Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/BiOBr/g-C3N4 photocatalyst for highly efficient hydrogen production coupled with diverse antibiotic degradation

Abstract

Semiconductor photocatalyst with green and high-efficiency is a quite effective way to solve environmental pollution and energy crises. In this work, a series of novel ternary Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/BiOBr/g-C3N4 (FBC) heterojunctions were prepared by hydrothermal method. Under visible light irradiation, 5.2% FBC degraded 92% of ciprofloxacin (CIP) within 30min. By adjusting the composition ratio to optimize the photocatalytic performance, 5.2% FBC could remove 94% of ciprofloxacin (CIP, 10mg/L) in 2h with a hydrogen production rate of 2.57mmol·g-1·h-1, and 2.4% FBC could remove 90% of levofloxacin (LVX, 10mg/L) in 2h with a hydrogen production rate of 1.86mmol·g-1·h-1. These can be attributed to ternary Z-scheme FBC heterostructure, leading to the higher transfer rate of charge carriers while retaining strong redox ability, which is further affirmed by DFT. The results provide a simple way for the development of highly active and multifunctional ternary photocatalysts for pollutant removal and clean energy generation.