Construction of a Bi-doped g-C3N4/Bi2MoO6 ternary nanocomposite for the effective photodegradation of ofloxacin under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Water contamination is a result of the excessive use of antibiotics nowadays. Owing to this environmental toxicity, photocatalytic degradation is the primary approach to non-biological degradation for their removal. In this context, zerovalent Bi-doped g-C₃N₄/Bi₂MoO₆ [g-C₃N₄/Bi@Bi₂MoO₆] ternary nanocomposite was prepared using the wet impregnation method. Surprisingly, zerovalent Bi is generated simultaneously during the hydrothermal synthesis of Bi₂MoO₆ without using any additional reducing agent. The performance of the synthesized catalyst for the removal of ofloxacin is measured using visible light radiation. Various techniques like XRD, XPS, DRS, HRTEM, FESEM, etc., were used to characterize the nanocomposites. Additionally, XPS, DRS, and HRTEM confirm the presence of zerovalent Bi. The degradation efficiency was recorded as 82% after 3 h for the optimized catalyst. The control experiments confirm that the superoxide radicals and holes function as reactive entities in the degradation process. HRMS was used to identify the intermediates and various fragments, which support the suggested mechanism. The photocatalyst exhibits outstanding stability and reusability. Due to its stability, easy synthesis, excellent catalytic activity, and reusability, the reported photocatalyst can be considered to be an excellent candidate for photocatalytic pollutant degradation.