Efficient activation of persulfate by Ti3C2 MXene QDs modified ZnFe2O4 for the rapid degradation of tetracycline

Mxene-based catalysts with specific interfacial characteristics are beneficial for photocatalytic applications. Herein, Ti3C2 MXene modified ZnFe2O4 nanocomposite materials were prepared for photocatalysis. The morphology and structure of the nanocmposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which revealed that Ti3C2 MXene as quantum dots (QDs) was uniformly distributed on the ZnFe2O4 surface. The Ti3C2 QDs modified ZnFe2O4 catalyst (ZnFe2O4/MXene-15%) under visible light achieved 87% degradation efficiency of tetracycline within 60 min when coupled with persulfate (PS) system. The initial solution pH, PS dosage and co-existing ions were found to be the main factors affecting the heterogeneous oxidation process, while quenching experiments showed that O2•- is the main oxidizing species in the removal of tetracycline in ZnFe2O4/MXene-PS system. In addition, the cyclic experiments suggested that ZnFe2O4/MXene had good stability and thus it may have practical applications in industry.