Cobalt (II/III) Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets as Photocatalysts for Peroxide-Assisted Tetracycline Degradation

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of cobalt bismuth oxide (CBO) nanosheets with high surface area through a one-step low-temperature solvothermal method. The nanosheets were investigated for their photocatalytic ability for organic pollutant removal. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and N2 adsorption–desorption showed that the interconnected nanosheet morphology of CBO has a high surface area of 177 m2 g–1. CBO-4 exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of the model organic pollutant tetracycline, with a degradation efficiency of 66.28% in the presence of H2O2. The proposed tetracycline degradation mechanism involved hydroxylation, demethylation, and ring-opening reactions. Furthermore, the CBO-4 catalyst showed good stability over five consecutive cycles. This study presents CBO-4 as a promising catalyst for photocatalytic organic pollutant removal, offering potential applications in environmental remediation.