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 TiO2/Ti3C2 derived from in-situ partly oxidation of Ti3C2 MXene precursors on which Bi2MoO6 (BMO) was tightly loaded was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal synthesis route. The introducing TiO2/Ti3C2 accelerated the transfer of electrons, improving the efficiency of electron-hole separation, thus strengthened the photocatalytic performance. Under optimum conditions, the BMO/TiO2/Ti3C2 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 center dot 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 CO2 and H2O, confirming the potential of BMO/TiO2/Ti3C2 photocatalyst for the environmentally friendly treatment of antibiotic pollutants in wastewater.