HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS AND VISIBLE-LIGHT-DRIVEN PHOTODEGRADATION OF ANTIBIOTICS OF BI2WO6 NANOSTRUCTURES.

Antibiotics, as emerging persistent organic pollutant, have increasingly attracted worldwide concerns in recent years due to its potential toxicity. We have successfully synthesized Bi₂WO₆ with two different morphologies, namely sheet-like and flower-like, via a simple hydrothermal method. Two different morphologies Bi₂WO₆ have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer analysis. A series of contrast experiments (including the amount of Na₂WO₄·2H₂O, the amount of ethylenediamine and reaction temperature) were carried out to understand the relation between reaction parameters and the formation of Bi₂WO₆ morphologies. Four kinds of antibiotics (Tetracycline, Oxytetracyline, Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacin) were degraded by two morphologies Bi₂WO₆. Based on experimental results, the flower-like Bi₂WO₆ nanostructures showed the higher activity for these four antibiotics decomposition than the sheet-like nanostructures. Moreover, we have found that it has better photocatalytic effect in the degradation of Tetracycline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]