Efficient photocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin antibiotic by dual Z-scheme Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄/Bi₂WO₆ under solar irradiation

Abstract

International audienceThis study reports the development of a novel Ag3PO4/g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst featuring a ternary heterostructure and a dual Z-scheme pathway mechanism. SEM and TEM analyzes confirmed the intimate contact between Ag3PO4, Bi2WO6, and g-C3N4, and hence the successful formation of the ternary heterojunction. Further, under natural solar light irradiation, the Ag3PO4/g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst, in comparison to single Ag3PO4, g-C3N4 and Bi2WO6 component, achieved an improved and remarkable CIP antibiotic photodegradation efficiency of 94 % within 90 min. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) •OH and •O2− played the dominant roles in the photocatalytic reaction. The overall data suggest that the dual Z-scheme carrier transfer pathways are responsible for the superior photocatalytic activity as resulting from the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers while maintaining their strong redox capabilities. The Ag3PO4/g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst demonstrates promising potential for wastewater treatment applications due to its high efficiency, efficient charge separation, and generation of potent oxidizing species. Additionally, Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate the interactions of Ag3PO4, Bi2WO6, and CIP, occurring on, respectively, g-C3N4, Ag3PO4/g-C3N4, and Ag3PO4/g-C3N4/Bi2WO6, in order to investigate their configurations and adsorption energies. The most stable geometries and pollutant remove were assessed from the negative adsorption energies (Ead) value