Construction of Ti3C2/BiOBr heterojunction for efficient removal of antibiotics

Layered Ti3C2 was prepared by etching Ti3AlC2 powder with hydrofluoric acid, and Ti3C2/BiOBr (TB) composites was successfully synthesized via in-situ deposition method. The effects of BiOBr content in the composites on their crystal structure, morphology and photocatalytic properties were systematically discussed. The experimental results indicate that the Ti3C2 introduction can promote the degradation of tetracycline owing to fast separation of photoexcited charge carriers. When the mass ratios of Ti3C2 to BiOBr were 1:50, Ti3C2/BiOBr exhibited the highest removal efficiency of 80.3% after 30 min of illumination. Furthermore, a possible degradation mechanism was clarified by the band structure and the trapping experiment.