Tuning and controlling photocatalytic performance of TiO2/kaolinite composite towards ciprofloxacin: Role of 0D/2D structural assembly

Lamellar kaolinite supported monodispersed TiO 2 was prepared through rational design and 0D/2D structural assembly, which showed significantly improved photocatalytic performance towards ciprofloxacin. After systematic evaluation, the pseudo-first-order kinetic constant rate of TiO 2 /kaolinite composite can reach to 0.04549 min −1 , which was 6.90 and 1.81 times higher than that of pure TiO 2 and P25, respectively. The nano-TiO 2 /kaolinite composite photocatalyst also displayed good reusability performance, only a slight decline occurred after four repeated experiments, which is beneficial for the large-scale application of photocatalysts. Various characterizations indicated that enhanced photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the synergistic effect between natural kaolinite and the well distributed TiO 2 , which enhanced the light absorption ability, assisted the dispersion of pure TiO 2 , resulted in co-catalysis effect, improved the separation facilitation of photo-induced carriers and promoted the stronger adsorption capacity, etc. These merits effectively regulated the carriers’ lifetime and migration velocity of the photogenerated charge carriers. Considering the excellent properties of natural kaolinite (low cost, abundance, stability, etc.), our study provides a promising candidate for effective degradation of trace amounts of pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP) or contaminants with potential high-toxic risk.