Unique II-scheme heterojunction polyimide/Bi2MoO6 composite photocatalyst for degradation of Tetracycline hydrochloride

This study effectively built polyimide/Bi2MoO6(PI/BMO) heterojunction composites for the first time, utilizing tetracycline hydrochloride as the target pollutant for degradation. The photocatalytic activity of the PI/BMO composite exceeded that of the individual monomers, polyimide (PI) and Bi2MoO6(BMO), by 83 % and 27 %, respectively. The superior photocatalytic degradation efficacy of the PI/BMO composites was ascribed to the establishment of type II heterojunctions and an increased specific surface area. The BET results showed that the increased specific surface of PI/BMO provided more active sites to photocatalytically degrade tetracycline (TC). Trapping experiments and the EPR facility demonstrate that center dot O2- and h+ are the primary active species in the photocatalytic process. Finally, the possible pathways for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by the materials were analyzed by HPLC-MS. This study presents a novel organic-inorganic heterojunction composite material, which may also offer insights into addressing the growing concern of antibiotic pollution.