Synthesis of Biocl/Cqds/G-C3n4 Composites and Their Photocatalytic Degradation Property for Tetracycline

Abstract

BiOCl/CQDs/g-C3N4 ternary photocatalyst was synthesized via hydrothermal (using Bi(NO3)3·5H2O, CH4N2S, and orange juice-derived CQDs) and room-temperature stirring methods.  Characterization (XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, PL, BET) confirmed high-purity composites with uniform interfaces and porous structures.  At 70 wt% BiOCl loading, the composite achieved 79.1% tetracycline degradation under visible light, retaining 53.7% efficiency after four cycles.  Radical trapping experiments revealed ·O2− as the primary active species, with h+ as secondary contributors.  The optimized heterojunction enhanced charge separation and photocatalytic performance.

Keywords: graphitic carbon nitride, carbon quantum dots, heterojunction, photocatalytic properties