Design of mesoporous heterojunction CuCo2O4/Co3O4 photocatalyst with superior photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

The development of an active photocatalyst to destroy antibiotics under visible light is a significant challenge. In this contribution, novel mesoporous n-p heterojunction CuCo2O4/Co3O4 photocatalysts were constructed through a sol–gel process with varying CuCo2O4 percentages by impregnating CuCo2O4 on the mesoporous Co3O4 surface for the first time. TEM image demonstrated that the incorporation of CuCo2O4 on Co3O4 networks did not transform the form and size of Co3O4 (10–20 nm) with quite uniform. The synthesized CuCo2O4/Co3O4 photocatalysts were assessed for tetracycline (TC) degradation under visible illumination. The obtained CuCo2O4/Co3O4 heterostructures showed a remarkably larger photodegradation efficiency of TC than pure Co3O4. TC degradation efficiency of 100 % within 90 min was performed over 15 %CuCo2O4/Co3O4 heterostructure, which was 1.7 folds greater than that of Co3O4. The rate constant of 15 % CuCo2O4/Co3O4 heterostructure was 0.0488 min−1, which was 2.65 times larger than that of Co3O4. The superior photocatalytic ability of CuCo2O4/Co3O4 heterostructures was explained by the synergistic effect and the proper pore structure with large surface area, which not only promotes the absorption of visible light utilization but also accelerate the separation rate of photoinduced carriers. This research illustrates a novel insight into designing heterojunction based-photocatalysts Co3O4, presenting enhanced light absorption and photocatalytic ability.