Plasma lattice-matched interfacial engineering enables boosted photocatalytic O2 activation for antibiotic degradation

Abstract

Tuning the oxygen-species activity of S-scheme heterojunctions is pivotal for efficient environmental antibiotic degradation, while the random interfacial orientation inevitably introduces lattice mismatch and high interfacial resistance, which distort O2 adsorption/dissociation and reduce the catalytic performance. Herein, via an oxygen plasma-assisted interfacial engineering approach, lattice-matched S-scheme Bi19Br3S27/BiOBr (BBS/BOB) heterojunctions are fabricated for boosting O2 photocatalytic activation. The oxygen plasma selectively etches Bi−S bonds, inducing surface reconstruction to form chemically bonded BBS/BOB interfaces while creating oxygen vacancies (OVs) as electron traps, thereby synergistically promoting electron-hole separation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The optimized BBS/BOB-2 heterojunction achieves exceptional visible-light photocatalytic activity, degrading 97.63% of ofloxacin (OFX) within 20 min—with a rate constant (0.1971 min-1) 2.69 and 7.47-fold higher than those of BOB-OVs and pristine BBS, respectively. Practical applicability is demonstrated by efficient OFX degradation across diverse water matrices and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Biotoxicity assessments (e.g., mung bean assays and intermediate toxicity analysis) confirm significant antibiotic detoxification, underscoring the system’s environmental sustainability. This work highlights the crucial role of lattice-matched interfacial engineering in boosting O2 photocatalytic activation, providing a new paradigm for efficient and eco-friendly antibiotic remediation.