Electrospun g-C3N4/Ti3C2Tx/Cu2O Z-scheme heterojunction nanofibers for efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of dyes and PPCPs with robust reusability

A novel reusable Z-scheme g-C 3 N 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T X /Cu 2 O nanofiber membrane (CTC-NFs) was innovatively fabricated via electrospinning, effectively overcoming recyclability and stability issues common to traditional photocatalysts in wastewater treatment. Incorporation of Ti 3 C 2 T X and Cu 2 O into g-C 3 N 4 expanded visible-light absorption and significantly improved electron-hole separation efficiency. Under visible illumination, CTC-NFs exhibited remarkable degradation efficiencies for methyl orange (95.2%), methylene blue (98.4%), and rhodamine B (95.9%), substantially outperforming pure g-C 3 N 4 (46.2%), g-C 3 N 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T X (76.0%), g-C 3 N 4 /Cu 2 O (78.7%), and Cu 2 O alone (84.2%). It also effectively degraded pharmaceutical pollutants, including ibuprofen (89.0%), diclofenac sodium (83.7%), tributyl phosphate (97.8%), and levofloxacin (91.3%). Notably, performance remained consistently high (95.6% to 93.9%) after five reuse cycles, confirming superior stability and practical reusability. Enhanced activity was attributed to Ti 3 C 2 T X exceptional conductivity, facilitating rapid electron transport and reducing electron-hole recombination, while ESR confirmed robust reactive oxygen species generation. This ternary Z-scheme nanofiber membrane thus represents a scalable, high-performance platform for visible-light-driven environmental remediation. • Z-scheme g-C 3 N 4 /Ti₃C₂Tx/Cu 2 O nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning. • CTC-NFs achieve 95.2% MO degradation under visible light with 93.9% retention after 5 cycles. • Ti₃C₂Tx enhanced charge separation and suppressed electron-hole recombination. • Broad-spectrum degradation of dyes and PPCPs was achieved using CTC-NFs. • Electrospun nanofibers enable easy recovery and reuse, addressing practical application challenges.