Highly effective ruthenium-doped mesoporous Ti1−xRuxO2−y crystals for photocatalytic tetracycline degradation

TiO2 nanomaterials are cheap and stable candidates for the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic residues in water. However, their activity is still limited by insufficient photon absorption and charge extraction. Here, ruthenium-doped mesoporous TiO2 crystals (Ti1−xRuxO2−y) are prepared by corroding a step-like layered K2Ti8−xRuxO17 precursor. The removal of potassium ions and the reconfiguration of [TiO6] octahedrons in K2Ti8−xRuxO17 lead to the formation of mesoporous crystals. Meanwhile, the addition of Ru3+ can create Ti3+ species and oxygen vacancies in situ inside the crystals, extending the photon absorption from the UV to the whole visible region. The mesoporous Ti0.95Ru0.05O2−y crystals show a 98.74% degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride within 50 min under simulated sunlight (AM 1.5 G 100 mW cm−2) illumination. This work offers an effective way for the construction of efficient photocatalysts with high photon absorption and charge extraction simultaneously.