Humic substance-aided in-situ photoelectrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline with a Ti3C2/ZnO Schottky junction

A humic substance/Ti 3 C 2 /ZnO composite was developed to enhance photoelectrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. • Humic substances derived from livestock manure and straw promoted tetracycline enrichment and interfacial electron transfer. • The integrated system removed 95.2% of tetracycline in water and achieved effective degradation in soil. • The degradation process is governed by coupled adsorption enrichment and in situ photoelectrocatalysis. The challenge of degrading tetracycline (TC) in nature was addressed herein by developing a photoelectrocatalytic system using a humic substance (HS)-modified Ti 3 C 2 /ZnO nanocomposite. The HS which was extracted from animal organic waste facilitated the spontaneous physical adsorption of TC and promoted electron transfer. Concurrently, the Ti 3 C 2 /ZnO Schottky junction enhanced separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This synergy resulted in a TC removal efficiency of 95.2% in aqueous solution within 100 min, and 40.2% in simulated soil environments. Combined with theoretical calculations, the underlying degradation mechanism was elucidated. This study presents a green and efficient strategy for antibiotic remediation utilizing natural organic waste. Download: Download high-res image (156KB) Download: Download full-size image