Controlled Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of the 2D-BiOCl/2D-g-C₃N₄ Heterostructure for the Degradation of Amine-Based Pharmaceuticals under Solar Light Illumination

Abstract

Designing efficient 2D-bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl)/2D-g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction photocatalysts by the microwave-assisted method was studied in this work using different amounts of BiOCl plates coupled with g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The effects of coupling the 2D structure of g-C 3 N 4 with the 2D structure of BiOCl were systematically examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence (PL), lifetime decay measurement, surface charges of the samples at various pH conditions, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The prepared photocatalysts were used for the degradation of amine-based pharmaceuticals, and nizatidine was used as a model pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity. The UV–vis DRS and other optical properties indicated the major effect of coupling of BiOCl with g-C 3 N 4 into a 2D/2D structure. The results showed a narrowing in the band gap energy of the composite form, whereas the PL and lifetime analysis showed greater inhibition of the electron–hole recombination process and slightly longer charge carrier lifetime. Accordingly, the BiOCl/g-C 3 N 4 composite samples exhibited an enhancement in the photocatalytic performance, specifically for the 10% BiOCl/g-C 3 N 4 sample. Moreover, the zeta potential of this sample at different pH values was evaluated to determine the isoelectric point of the synthesized composite material. Consequently, the pH was adjusted to match the isoelectric point of the complex materials, which further enhanced the activity. Further degradation of pharmaceuticals was studied under solar light irradiation, and 96% degradation was achieved within 30 min.

g‐C3N4‐Based 2D/2D Composite Heterojunction Photocatalyst

“…Common drugs examined in photocatalytic studies include tetracycline (TC), [117] oxytetracycline, [118] ciprofloxacin (CIP), [48] ibuprofen (IBF), [69] levofloxacin, [119] naproxen, [120] acetaminophen, [121] carbamazepine, [122] sulfamethazine, [123] and nizatidine. [124] Table 6 lists the testing conditions and TC degradation activity of some g-C 3 N 4 -based Reproduced with permission. [116] Copyright 2018, Elsevier.…”

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy for monitoring temperature-dependent chloride ion motion in BiOCl plates

“…The influence of shape on the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl for the degradation of toxic bisphenol A was tested for microplates and microflowers, and it was confirmed that the higher adsorption capacity and presence of more active sites in the microflowers enhanced their photocatalytic activity 10 . Other BiOCl-based nanostructures such as BiOCl/Bi 2 S 3 , BiOCl/(BiO) 2 CO 3 , and BiOCl/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructures are also good photocatalysts [11][12][13] .…”

Peroxymonosulfate Activation by Bi2WO6/BiOCl Heterojunction Nanocomposites under Visible Light for Bisphenol A Degradation

“…In particular, bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) has attracted significant interest due to its unique crystallographic structure, which can establish an internal electric field for interlayer charge transfer [11,12]. However, the catalytic performance of BiOCl is restricted by the poor photogenerated charge separation ability and inactiveness of visible light utilization, which reduces the overall efficiency [13,14]. Therefore, various strategies, such as surface modification, defect engineering, morphology control, and heterojunction construction, have been widely adopted to tailor the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl [10,13].…”

“…The construction of heterojunction composites has been studied in order to enhance the light absorption, the charge separation efficiency, and the lifetime of carriers [10,17]. Up to now, various BiOCl-based composites have been developed on the basis of this fundamental mechanism, such as BiOCl/g-C 3 N 4 [14], BiOCl/Bi 24 O 31 Cl 10 [18], and NiO/BiOCl [19]. It is well known that the heterojunction effect is established by an electronic coupling effect produced from the interfacial interactions of two components to enhance light-responsive capability and expedite interfacial charge carrier mobility [10,20].…”