Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Production of Hydrogen Peroxide for Ciprofloxacin Degradation by a Cofeo/Pdism Z-Scheme Heterojunction

Abstract

High flux degradation and high mineralization ability for organic pollutants removal is still a huge challenge now. Herein, we develop a new photocatalysis self-Fenton strategy by CoFe oxide/perylene diimide organic supermolecule (CoFeO/PDIsm) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst, in which the holes of photocatalyst can mineralize organic pollutants and the photo-generated electrons are used to in-situ H2O2 production with high efficiency. The CoFeO/PDIsm exhibits superior in-situ H2O2 production at a rate of 281.7 µmol g-1 h-1, correspondingly of total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of ciprofloxacin (CIP) is 63.7%, far exceeding current photocatalysts. The high H2O2 production rate and remarkable mineralization ability are ascribed to great charge separation in Z-scheme heterojunction. This work clarifies the crucial role of Z-scheme heterojunction during in-situ H2O2 production and Fenton reaction, which provides a useful guide to design functional photocatalysts for environmental-friendly removing the organic containment.

Keywords: CoFe oxide, perylene diimide, Z-scheme, H2O2, photocatalysis self-Fenton