Efficient degradation of ciprofloxacin by Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterostructures with different morphologies driven under the visible light
Jing Chen, Haitao Zhu, Qifang Ren, Shaohua Chen, Yi Ding, Zhen Jin, Wanmi Guo, Xinyu Jia
Abstract
In this study, Cu 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 composite with photocatalytic activity was successfully prepared by chemical precipitation method. The catalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by Cu 2 O and Cu 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 composites with different morphologies was investigated. The effective structure and properties of Cu 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 composites were tested by a series of characterization methods. The photocatalytic test results show that the Cu 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 composite photocatalyst has good stability and good photocatalytic performance, which is attributed to the effective hetero-junction structure formed by the combination of Cu 2 O and g-C 3 N 4 , which promotes the interfacial charge separation. The addition of g-C 3 N 4 can reduce the crystal size of Cu 2 O, improve the crystal morphology, and increase its light utilization. Among the synthesized catalysts, the Cu 2 O-3(20%)/g-C 3 N 4 composite has the highest catalytic activity, and the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of CIP is 96%. By free radical capture and ESR analysis, it was verified that OH, h + and O 2 − radicals may be the main active substances involved in CIP photodegradation. Finally, various degradation products and intermediates of CIP were identified by LC-MS, and the possible conversion pathways were proposed.