Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin by heterostructured BiOCl/Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposites

A series of 2D-2D BiOCl/Ti3C2Tx MXene (BM) heterostructures have been facilely designed and constructed by an electrostatic self-assembly strategy, which can photodegrade ciprofloxacin, a frequently used fluoroquinolone antibiotics, up to 90 % in only 30 min under solar irradiation. The integration of BiOCl with MXene enhances the light absorption property and accelerates the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, which are beneficial for improving the photocatalytic degradation performances. The reactive oxygen species (ROSs) engaged in the photo-degradation are determined to be mainly h+ and •O2-. The BM nanohybrids reported here can open a wide door for the design and synthesis of environmental functional materials that are capable of effectively eliminating emerging contaminants from water environments in a green and inexpensive manner.