Multiple strategies enhance visible-light photocatalytic degradation levofloxacin of Fe-doped MOF/AgCl Z-scheme heterojunction composites based on pyrazole carboxylic ligand

The construction of visible-light catalysts to degrade water pollutants is significant in environmental governance and solar energy conversion. In this work, a novel Zn-MOF with unsaturated coordination sites was constructed using 1-(Carboxymethyl)-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid as the organic ligand. Its crystal structure was studied through single crystal X-ray diffraction. To enhance visible light catalytic performance, ZnFe-MOF/AgCl-x Z-scheme heterojunction composites were constructed. The optimized ZnFe-MOF/AgCl-50 material exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance, which can degrade 90.33 % of levofloxacin in 21 min. The results indicate that Fe doping and the construction of the ZnFe-MOF/AgCl-x Z-scheme heterojunction not only broaden the responsive range to visible light, but also effectively promote the internal and interfacial charges transfer efficiency, leading to a superior catalytic performance. In addition, the Ag nanoparticles (NPs) generated during the photocatalytic process can serve as a bridge, achieving rapid charge transfer in Z-scheme heterojunction. This work can offer an innovative perspective for the development of novel and efficient MOF-based Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for wastewater treatment applications.