Photocatalytic degradation of β-receptor blocker propranolol based on Z-type heterojunction Bi4O5I2/α-Bi2O3

In this paper, Bi4O5I2/alpha-Bi2O3 composite photocatalysts were successfully prepared by loading Bi4O5I2 nano- sheets on the surface of alpha-Bi2O3 nanorods. The photocatalytic performance was investigated for the degradation of propranolol under visible light. Bi4O5I2/alpha-Bi2O3 (30) could degrade 95 % of propranolol within 120 min, and the degradation rates of propranolol were 64.3 and 2.68 times that of alpha-Bi2O3 and Bi4O5I2, respectively. The mineralization degree of propranolol reached 54.7 %, which was also much higher than that of Bi4O5I2 and alpha-Bi2O3 alone. Based on the results of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), the possible degradation pathways and products of propranolol were proposed, and the environmental toxicity of the degradation products was evaluated. The formation mechanism of Bi4O5I2/alpha-Bi2O3 Z-type heterojunction was proposed by investigating the band structure and photoelectric properties of the composite photocatalyst. This work provides a successful example for the construction and application of new heterojunction photocatalysts.