Ionic liquid-induced regulation of 0D/2D tea biomass carbon quantum dots modified PbBiO2Cl nanosheets: Accelerated charge transfer and boosted photocatalytic activities

Photocatalytic technology has been widely concerned because of its characteristics of simple operation, low energy consumption and no secondary pollution. In this work, tea biomass carbon quantum dots (T-BCDs) modified PbBiO 2 Cl nanosheets have been prepared via ionic liquid assisted solvothermal method. Firstly, various characterization techniques were employed to study the morphology and structure of the catalysts. Subsequently, we evaluated the photocatalytic activities of the acquired catalysts on account of degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible and near-infrared light. The experimental results show that the photocatalytic activity of nanocomposites is obviously improved. Among which, 3 mL T-BCDs/PbBiO 2 Cl displays the strongest photocatalytic performance. In addition, the reasons for the enhancement of photocatalytic activities were explored by photoelectrochemical characterizations. T-BCDs can be used as electron acceptors, which can effectively boost the charge transfer and inhibit the recombination of photogenerated carriers. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism was elucidated through free radical trapping experiments, electron spin resonance (ESR) technology and band structure analysis. Superoxide radical (•O 2 − ), hydroxyl radical (•OH) and holes (h + ) are the main active substances involved in antibiotic degradation. This research aims to develop high-performance photocatalysts that contribute to environmental remediation.