A one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of Bi/Bi2O2CO3/Bi2WO6 catalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity to tetracycline.

• Novel ternary Bi/Bi2O2CO3/Bi2WO6 were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. • The degradation percentage of tetracycline reached 95.5 % after 120 min irradiation. • The surface plasmon resonance effect of metallic bi enhanced photocatalytic effect. • The Z-scheme heterojunction accelerated the charge transfer and photodegradation. • The active species h +, ·O2-, and ·OH played a joint role in the degradation. The abuse and irrational discharge of tetracycline (TC) have threatened the surroundings of human beings. Semiconductor photocatalytic oxidation technology is an emerging green environmental remediation technology, which can be widely applied in wastewater treatment. This work is the first attempt to prepare Z-scheme heterojunction Bi/Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 ternary material through one-step hydrothermal synthesis method. About 95.5 % tetracycline (10 mg· L ⁻¹) have been degraded by Bi/Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 ternary material after 120 min of simulated sunlight exposure. The degradation efficiency of TC was 2.04 and 3.01 times than those of Bi 2 WO 6 and Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 , respectively. Radical trapping experiments and ESR analysis showed that h ⁺, ·O 2 ⁻ , and ·OH played a joint role in the degradation of tetracycline. Based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, energy band analysis and theoretical calculations, the degradation mechanisms were identified. The excellence photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to two aspects: (1) The generation of Z-scheme heterojunctions provided channels for carrier transfer, accelerated interface charge separation and suppressed the rapid recombination of photo generated carriers and holes; (2) The surface plasmon resonance effect of metallic Bi intensifies photon absorption and boost photocatalytic activity. This work offers a viable method for improving the photocatalytic activity of semiconductors made of bismuth on antibiotics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]