BiOBr/Bi2O2CO3 Heterojunction Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Tetracycline

In the past few decades, photocatalytic technology has made significant contributions to addressing the environmental pollution and energy crisis faced by the human society in the 21st century. The key to photocatalytic technology lies in the development of efficient photocatalysts, with the short lifetime of photogenerated charge carriers posing a major bottleneck to photocatalytic efficiency. This work presents the fabrication of a BiOBr/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst with an efficient charge transfer interface through the incorporation of surfactants and calcination treatment during the BiOBr synthesis process. The in situ construction strategy enables efficient charge transfer between BiOBr and Bi2O2CO3, thereby prolonging the lifetime of photogenerated carriers. By incorporating surfactants alone, the degradation rate of tetracycline by the BiOBr/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst with optimal activity is increased by over two times compared with that by BiOBr alone. Furthermore, LC–MS and quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis confirmed a significant reduction in the toxicity of intermediates generated during the photocatalytic process in the environment. Detailed analysis of the mechanism behind the enhanced photocatalytic activity is provided in this study. This research offers a novel approach for the in situ construction of heterojunction interfaces with efficient charge transfer capabilities.