Z-Scheme heterojunction photocatalysts can effectively suppress the recombination of charge carriers while maintaining high redox capacity. In this study, ZnTe/WO 3 (ZW) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized using a hydrothermal method, and a series of photocatalytic materials were prepared for the simultaneous removal of tetracycline (TC) and Cu(II) from water. The physicochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of the catalytic materials were characterized through various methods, including SEM, XRD, XPS, and others. The experimental results indicate that the ZW-10 % composite material exhibits the most significant removal efficiency for pollutants. Within 150 min of visible light irradiation, the removal rates for TC and Cu(II) reach 73.8 % and 73.3 %, respectively, representing a substantial improvement compared to individual ZnTe and WO 3 . Free radical capture experiments and electron spin resonance analysis reveal that ·O 2 − and ·OH are the key reactive species responsible for TC oxidation, while electrons (e − ) dominate the reduction of Cu(II).
Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts can restrain carriers’ recombination while retaining high redox capacity. Herein, a novel ZnTe/rGO/WO 3 (ZRW) Z-scheme heterojunction was constructed for simultaneous removal of TC and Cu (II) from wastewater. The highly conductive rGO served as a bridge connecting the ZnTe and WO 3 whereby forming a tight interaction interface, beneficial to carriers transfer and separation. The removals of TC and Cu (II) using the optimized ZRW-10% achieved 90.6% and 89.5% within 150 min of light exposure, which were much higher than those from the ZnTe and WO 3 . Results of free radical trapping experiments and electron spin resonance analysis suggested that·O 2 - and·OH were the key active species for TC oxidation while e - dominated Cu (II) reduction. Based on the identified TC degradation intermediates, two possible degradation pathways for TC were proposed, and the ecotoxicity of most intermediates were less than TC. This study can advance research development of designing efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst and elimination of complex pollutants.