Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using a BiVO4/MIL-88B(Fe) heterojunction

Abstract

A type II heterostructured BiVO₄/MIL-88B(Fe) composite was successfully synthesised for the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) by a simple hydrothermal method. Thin film materials avoid secondary pollution of powder materials. The samples were characterised by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV-Vis DRS, and PL. The samples were also characterised for their optoelectronic properties. 3-BV/MIL-88B(Fe) (3 mmol BiVO₄) was the most effective catalyst for the degradation of TC-HCl, achieving 92.1% removal at 75 min with a degradation rate constant of 22.79 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹. Moreover, durability evaluation and TC-HCl degradation potential evaluation were also performed. We looked into how TC-HCl concentration, pH and ions affect the degradation results. In order to determine the active ingredients, experiments for trapping free radicals and EPR tests were performed. The results indicated that the main active species were h⁺ and ˙OH. It is proposed that a reasonable type-II heterostructure can help to explain the photocatalytic mechanism. The current study creates a stable photocatalytic system by compositing electrocatalytic and photocatalytic materials to achieve efficient antibiotic degradation and provides a viable strategy for future applications.