Construction of CdS/CdSnO3 direct Z-scheme heterostructure for efficient tetracycline hydrochloride photodegradation

Photocatalytic technology is one of the promising methods for solving the environmental crisis caused by antibiotics. In this work, CdS/CdSnO 3 direct Z-scheme heterojunctions were fabricated through soft-chemistry routes. Various characterizations were performed to analyze the intrinsic properties of the constructed photocatalysts. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared catalysts was assessed via tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) photodegradation. Compared with the bare CdSnO 3 and CdS, all the obtained CdS/CdSnO 3 heterojunctions exhibited improved photocatalytic performance. Meanwhile, the kinetic constant of CdS/CdSnO 3 heterojunction with optimized mass ratio was about 57.5 and 1.85 times as high as the bare CdSnO 3 and CdS. The upgraded photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the enhanced light absorption and unique charge transfer path. Based on the systematic analysis, the possible direct Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was put forward. • CdS/CdSnO 3 heterostructures were successfully fabricated. • All the hybrid photocatalysts exhibited superior TCH photodegradation performance than a single component. • The separation and transfer of the photoinduced charge carriers were effectively promoted. • The direct Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was proposed.