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Preparation of reed-based hydrothermal carbonized carbon photocatalyst and effective degradation of methylene blue and tetracycline

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Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonation carbon (HTCC) is a promising semiconductor material for the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. However, the poor charge transfer capability of HTCC and the unclear mechanism of photocatalysis limit its practical application. In this study, a novel Z-type heterojunction photocatalyst of silver carbonate (Ag2CO3) and HTCC (Ag2CO3/HTCC) was developed for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) from wastewater using a hydrothermal- coprecipitation method. Compared to Ag2CO3 and HTCC, 40% Ag2CO3/HTCC had excellent photocatalytic activity and stability. The free radical scavenger experiments showed that •O2− and h+ were the main substances for the degradation of MB and TC. The intermediates formed during the photodegradation were identified by HPLC–MS, and a possible mechanism and pathway for the degradation of MB and TC by Ag2CO3/HTCC was proposed. This study provides a new idea for the synthesis of Z-type HTCC heterojunction with a high-photocatalytic efficiency and its photocatalytic mechanism.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province of China (2021RC4062) and the Natural Science Foundation of Changsha City (grant no. kq2202276).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China

    Hao Xu, Xingong Li & Xia Zheng

  2. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China

    Yangyuan Ou, Xinjiang Hu & Chunfang Tang

  3. Changsha Forest Protection Station, Changsha, 410004, China

    Daihui Chen

Authors
  1. Hao Xu
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  2. Yangyuan Ou
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  4. Daihui Chen
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  5. Xingong Li
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  6. Chunfang Tang
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  7. Xia Zheng
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Contributions

Hao Xu performed the experiments and wrote the draft. Xingong Li and Chunfang Tang designed the study and provided fund. Xia Zheng and Xinjiang Hu revised the manuscript; Yangyuan Ou and Daihui Chen analyzed most of the data and made the figures.

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Correspondence to Xingong Li.

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Xu, H., Ou, Y., Hu, X. et al. Preparation of reed-based hydrothermal carbonized carbon photocatalyst and effective degradation of methylene blue and tetracycline. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 48048–48061 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25739-6

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