Bi-Modified Bi2WO6/BiOI Heterojunction with Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photoactivity for Antibiotic Degradation

A flower-like metallic Bi-modified Bi2WO6/BiOI heterojunction was fabricated by a two-step approach of hydrothermal method and in situ ethylene glycol reduction method. The ternary system was confirmed by structural analysis and surface and morphological studies. Compared with Bi2WO6, BiOI, and their binary nanomaterials, the catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LEV) under visible light irradiation. The improvement of photocatalytic performance was ascribed to the synergistic effect between metal Bi nanoparticles and Bi2WO6/BiOI p-n heterojunction, which enhanced the light absorption capacity and the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. By studying the effect of solution pH on CIP degradation, it was found that when pH=10, the degradation efficiency of the catalyst on ciprofloxacin reached 100% within 40 min. It provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of ternary photocatalysts for purification of alkaline domestic sewage.