Constructing a novel Bi2MoO6/TiO2/Ti3C2 composite with efficient carrier separation for excellent photocatalytic purification of TC

Photocatalytic removal of tetracycline (TC) from wastewater is an advantageous method with green and efficient potentials, while the low light utilization and severe charge carrier recombination of conventional photocatalysts limit their practical application. The TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 derived from in-situ partly oxidation of Ti 3 C 2 MXene precursors on which Bi 2 MoO 6 (BMO) was tightly loaded was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal synthesis route. The introducing TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 accelerated the transfer of electrons, improving the efficiency of electron-hole separation, thus strengthened the photocatalytic performance. Under optimum conditions, the BMO/TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 composite significantly removed 87.54 % TC from wastewater within 150 min, which was higher than the original counterparts and remained almost unchanged after four cycles. The active species trapping experiments and ESR analysis displayed that •O 2 - played a dominant role in TC degradation. The possible degradation pathways were also deduced through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis experiments, demonstrating that the terminal products of degradation were mainly CO 2 and H 2 O, confirming the potential of BMO/TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 photocatalyst for the environmentally friendly treatment of antibiotic pollutants in wastewater.