In Situ Construction of 2D/2D Bi ₁₂ O ₁₇ Cl ₂ /Ti ₃ C ₂ Heterojunction for Enhanced Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride

Photocatalysis is an eco-friendly technology to remove tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and can completely mineralize it to CO 2 and H 2 O under light irradiation. Bi 12 O 17 C l2 is a typical photocatalyst, but the high recombination of electrons and holes restricted the photocatalytic performance of bare Bi 12 O 17 C l2 . Herein, we design and in-situ synthesize a 2D/2D Bi 12 O 17 C l2 /Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction using a solvothermal method. The Bi 12 O 17 C l2 /Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction exhibits enhanced photodegradation performance for TCH under visible light irradiation. The mechanism study indicated that the improved light absorption capacity, efficient electron-hole separation and transport capability, and superoxide free radicals with strong oxidation capacity facilitate photocatalytic degradation of TCH. Moreover, the TCH’s possible degradation routes were put forward based on intermediates detected by LC-MS. This work proposes a new tactic for constructing Bi 12 O 17 C l2 heterojunction to promote its photocatalytic performance.