Crystal defect-mediated {010} facets of Bi2MoO6 nanosheets for removal of TC: Enhanced mechanism and degradation pathway

[Display omitted] •A salt-assisted strategy for fabricating Na-Bi2MoO6 was proposed.•The Na-Bi2MoO6 catalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic activity.•Synergistic effects of crystal defects and exposed {010} facet boosted photocatalytic ability.•The possible degradation pathways of TC were discussed in detail. The engineering of crystal defects on photocatalytic materials has been widely proven as a versatile strategy to achieve the effective conversion of solar energy in environmental remediation. Herein, the defect-mediated {010} facets of Bi2MoO6 nanosheets were selectively fabricated through a facile salt-assisted synthesis method via the introduction of Na+ dopant. The as-obtained catalysts manifested remarkable performance for tetracycline (TC) degradation under visible light irradiation. The considerably enhanced performance could be attributed to the improvement of light absorption capability and the efficient carrier separation, both of which originated from the synergistic effects of the internal defects and the special {010} facets. Meanwhile, the possible pathways of TC degradation were proposed on the basis of the identification of intermediates using HPLC-MS analysis. This work highlights the merits of crystal defect in enhancing photocatalytic activity and provides a promising strategy for designing other Bi-based photocatalysts towards environmental remediation.