Synthesis of WO3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunction with novel photocatalytic activity for degradation of residual antibiotics in aquatic environment under visible light

Abstract

In the research, we successfully synthesized WO3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. These synthesized materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR Spectroscopy), to investigate their crystal phase, morphology and chemical compositions. The synthesized WO3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunction exhibited novel photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Tetracyline even under visible light. This was due to photo-excited electrons in the conduction band of WO3 transferred to the valence band of the g-C3N4 preserving electrons in the conduction band of the g-C3N4 and holes in the valence band of WO3. These electrons and holes would react with oxygen and water to produce oxidative radicals for effective degradation of Tetracycline. The synthesized WO3/g-C3N4 photocatalytically degraded approximately 56 % Tetracycline 10 ppm when it was irradiated by visible light of 32 W for 90 mins.