Modified-pollen confined hybrid system: A promising union for visible-light-driven photocatalytic antibiotic degradation

The construction of catalysts with high efficiency of charge separation and high stability is of great significance for the photodegradation of organic pollutants. Herein, an eco-friendly and highly efficient three-dimensional biohybrid photocatalyst, carbonized rape pollen confined Cu2O nanoparticles (Cu2O/BC), was fabricated for the photodegradation of tetracycline under visible-light illumination. The Cu2O/BC exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of tetracycline under visible-light irradiation, the degradation rate is roughly 6.0 and 3.2 times higher than BC and Cu2O. The enhanced performance is attributed to the construction of heterojunction, which promotes the effective separation of photogenerated carriers. In addition, the three-dimensional hollow BC with spatial domain confinement ensures the structural stability of Cu2O. This work provides crucial insights into the utilization of nature-based biological materials in biohybrid photocatalysis for efficient antibiotic removal and environmental remediation.