Construction of high-proportion dual bismuth-based Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalytic system via in-situ growth of Bi2MoO6 on Bi3O4Cl for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

In this study, a high-proportion dual bismuth-based Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalytic system was constructed via the in-situ growth of Bi2MoO6 on Bi3O4Cl for enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. The effects of the particle ratio of Bi3O4Cl and Bi2MoO6, organic pollutant initial concentration, catalyst dosage, visible-light irradiation time, degradation kinetics and reused times on the photocatalytic activity of the Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst were investigated. Moreover, the study compares the photocatalytic degradation extents of norfloxacin, tetracycline, crystal violet, acridine orange and methylene blue using the Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst, and proposes a possible mechanism on the Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalytic system. The results indicate that the high-proportion dual bismuth-based Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst performs superior photocatalytic activity at a 1.0:1.0 particle ratio. The fuzzy contact interfaces can be formed between Bi2MoO6 and Bi3O4Cl nanoparticles due to the direct in-situ growth of Bi2MoO6 on Bi3O4Cl, which can provide channels for the photo-generated electron transfer to construct the Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalytic system. After five cycles, the Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst maintains high photocatalytic performance. During the photocatalytic degradation, the photo-generated holes play dominant roles, while the contributions of superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical remain approximate. Thus, this photocatalytic technology displays promising application prospects for handling organic contaminants, including antibiotics and dyes, in wastewater.