Enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin via constructing conductive matrix

The application of heterogeneous photocatalysts is severely limited by the high charge transfer resistance (R ct ). BiVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 photocatalysts were prepared and loaded on the conductive matrix material carbon paper (CP) to reduce electron transfer resistance and improve the photocatalytic performance. The R ct of BiVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 @CP was remarkedly reduced by 94.3 % compared to the photocatalysts on the oil paper (BiVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 @OP), while the photocurrent density increased by 5.5 times. The utilization efficiency of light energy and separation of photoelectrons and holes were improved with CP due to its ability to facilitate long-distance transfer of photoelectrons. Consequently, the photocatalytic degradation performance of BiVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 @CP was enhanced by a 26.1 % improvement in ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation efficiency. Quenching experiment, LC-MS analysis and DFT calculation revealed that piperazine ring opening and C-F cleavage were the major pathways for CIP degradation with BiVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 @CP.