Construction of SnO2/Cu2O heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of moxifloxacin

Herein, SnO2/Cu2O heterojunction composites were prepared using a hydrothermal method for moxifloxacin removal from water. Cu2O and SnO2 were detected in the composite samples, which exhibited between the two semiconductors. The introduction of SnO2 into pure Cu2O, forming a heterojunction structure, can enhance device charge conversion, improve photocurrent intensity and photogenerated electron-hole separation efficiency, and greatly improve photocatalytic performance. Moxifloxacin degradation by SnO2/Cu2O composites reached 86.4 %. The proposed catalytic mechanism was based on radical scavenging, with center dot -O-2(-) identified as the main active species. In addition, the moxifloxacin degradation intermediates were analyzed, with possible degradation pathways suggested.