NiCo/ZnO/g-C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunction nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic degradation oxytetracycline

The Nickel‑cobalt alloys/zinc oxide/graphitic carbon nitride (NiCo/ZnO/g-C3N4, NCZg) nanocomposites, magnetic Z-scheme heterojunction nanoparticles, were successfully synthesized. A series of characterization techniques were used to study the morphologies, chemical compositions and optical properties of the prepared NCZg. Using oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC) as target contaminants, the visible light degradation activity of NCZg nanocomposites was investigated. Under visible light, NCZg showed high photocatalytic degradation activity. The photocatalytic degradation rates of OTC and TC reached 71.3% and 81.29% in 50 min. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of NCZg was obviously better than other materials reported in literatures. The capture experiments of reactive species showed that photogenerated holes (h+) were the primary reason of photocatalytic degradation. This study provides a novel idea for the construction of high-performance photocatalyst for the degradation of OTC.