2D/2D Co3O4/g-C3N4 p-n heterojunction: Boosted antibiotic degradation activity under UV–visible-infrared light via synergy of mesoporous architecture, photothermal effect, and efficient charge separation

A 2D/2D mesoporous Co 3 O 4 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite with triple synergy was constructed. • The Co 3 O 4 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite shows excellent antibiotic removal efficiency. • The photothermal effect accelerates TC degradation by elevating reaction temperature. • This work offers insights into the design of multimodal synergistic photocatalysts for environmental remediation. Developing potent photocatalysts is of great significance for both preventing and remediating antibiotic-polluted environments. In this work, a 2D/2D mesoporous Co 3 O 4 /g-C 3 N 4 (Co 3 O 4 /CN) nanocomposite is constructed and reported as a multimodal antibiotic-degrading photocatalyst featuring triple-function synergy: (1) The mesoporous structure of Co 3 O 4 increases the nanocomposite's surface area, enhancing antibiotic adsorption; (2) Co 3 O 4 /CN exhibits excellent full-spectrum light absorption and remarkable photothermal effect, elevating the temperature of the reaction system to facilitate photodegradation reaction; (3) The p-n heterojunction formed between Co 3 O 4 and g-C 3 N 4 promotes efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Owing to the combined action of its mesoporous structure, photothermal effect, and efficient charge separation, the Co 3 O 4 /CN nanocomposite demonstrates outstanding photocatalytic performance, with tetracycline (TC) being completely degraded (100% degradation rate) within 100 min. This research offers valuable references for the synthesis of multimodal synergistic photocatalysts applied in environmental remediation. Download: Download high-res image (275KB) Download: Download full-size image This work successfully constructed a 2D/2D Co₃O₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite with triple-function synergy of mesoporous structure, photothermal effect, and p-n heterojunction, which provides valuable references for the design of multimodal synergistic photocatalysts in environmental remediation.