Fabrication of magnetically recyclable Fe3O4/BiOCl/BiOBr nanocomposite with Z-scheme heterojunction for high-efficiency photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

The establishment of Z-scheme heterojunction with ascendant redox ability presents a potential application prospect in the development of efficient photocatalysts for environmental purification. Herein, the Z-scheme Fe 3 O 4 /BiOCl/BiOBr heterostructure composite with preeminent retrievability was obtained using a facile solvothermal method. The various physicochemical properties of the acquired materials were explored through systematic characterizations. The Fe 3 O 4 /BiOCl/BiOBr ternary photocatalyst possessed excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency (85%) towards tetracycline (TC) under simulated sunlight irradiation. Given the results of capturing experiments, superoxide radicals (·O 2 − ) and holes (h + ) made predominant contributions to the photodegradation reaction. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 /BiOCl/BiOBr was mostly resulted in the framework of Z-scheme heterojunction, which led to the efficient migration of the photoinduced carriers. In addition, Fe 3 O 4 /BiOCl/BiOBr exhibited good recyclability and stability while retaining its high photocatalytic activity. It was expected that this work would create a new opportunity to fabricate magnetically recyclable photocatalysts with Z-scheme heterojunction for efficient removal of antibiotic pollutants.