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Pollution of waste and natural waters by antibiotics is a major health issue that induces the development of resistant pathogens. Pollutant may be removed by photocatalysis, yet classical photocatalysis is limited by the short carrier lifetime. Here, we review multicomponent photocatalysts for the synergic degradation of antibiotics. Components include metallic nanoparticles, semiconductors and adsorbents. The synergy of these components provide photocatalysts with advantages such as extended visible-light range with bandgap energy lower than 2.8 eV, improved charge transfer properties, enhanced adsorption capacity and more active reaction sites. The removal of the antibiotics, based on the decrease of the initial concentration, reaches 80–100%, but mineralization is rarely measured in reports. Proposed mechanisms for the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics over single and multicomponent photocatalysts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic technology represents a cutting-edge approach for addressing water pollution. The performance of photocatalysts can be improved by constructing of heterojunctions that facilitate the charges transfer between the two components. Herein, we produced a three-component g–C 3 N 4 /g–C 3 N 4 isotype heterojunction/bismuth-based halide perovskites (g–C 3 N 4 –ISO/BHP) composite using a solvothermal method to grow bismuth-based halide perovskite (BHP) onto the surface of g–C 3 N 4 /g–C 3 N 4 isotype heterojunction (g–C 3 N 4 –ISO) layers. Several methods were used to investigate crystalline structure, morphology, chemical composition/states, optical characteristics, and charge-carrier dynamics of the three-component composite. The g–C 3 N 4 –ISO/BHP composite exhibited superior photocatalytic activity under white LED light with a degradation percentage of 73.2%, which is higher than the mixed-phase g–C 3 N 4 –ISO (61.4%) and the bare BHP (62.5%). The control of component content improved the transmission of charges between the composite components. The S-scheme charge transfer mechanism was verified to function on the g–C 3 N 4 –ISO/BHP composite as a result of its high compatibility and adequate band structure, resulting in robust redox ability, effective charge carrier separation and extended lifetime. Our study presents a practical approach for constructing three-component composites for efficient photocatalytic water treatment. [Display omitted] • A g–C 3 N 4 /g–C 3 N 4 /BHP composite enhances photocatalytic degradation of TCH. • The g–C 3 N 4 /g–C 3 N 4 /BHP displays 73.2% TCH degradation rate under white LED light. • The S-scheme charge transfer route enbles effective charge carrier separation. • The S-scheme charge transfer route also demonstrates robust redox ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]