Interfacial Engineering of 0D/2D Cu2S/Ti3C2 for Efficient Photocatalytic Synchronous Removal of Tetracycline and Hexavalent Chromium

With the advancement of industrialization and urbanization, the arbitrary emission of sewage containing TC-tetracycline and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) possesses a serious threat to both ecological–environment and public health. However, developing a low-toxicity and cost-effective photocatalyst for the simultaneous elimination of these two pollutants remains a formidable task. This study devised a photocatalytic sample (CSMX-X) comprised of Copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S) and Titanium carbide (Ti3C2) through a simple solvothermal method and applied it to remove TC-tetracycline and Cr(VI). The CSMX-X not only increases the specific surface area from 2.7 m2·g−1 for pure Cu2S to 30.65 m2·g−1, but also effectively addresses the problems of insufficient separation efficiency of photogenerated holes and electrons and low carrier density. The photocatalytic efficiency for an individual pollutant (10 mg·L−1 Cr(VI) or 20 mg·L−1 TC-tetracycline) can reach more than 90%, while the removal efficiency for mixed Cr(VI) and TC-tetracycline pollutants only decreases by 12%. Meanwhile, copper leaching levels under different pH conditions (0.032–0.676 mg·L−1) are considerably lower than the 2 mg·L−1 safety standard set by the World Health Organization. This study provides valuable perspectives for constructing Cu2S-based composite photocatalysts to remove multiple contaminants in real aquatic environments.