Degradation and detoxification of propranolol by a molecular intercalation bismuth oxychloride semiconductor-organic framework

[Display omitted] •BiOCl organic framework was successfully synthesized molecular intercalation.•The toxicity of intermediates decreased along the degradation pathway.•Zebrafish swimming activity further confirms the reduced toxicity of propranolol.•Insight into the mechanisms of organic molecules as charge transfer circuits. In this work, the effects of different types of molecular intercalations on the morphology, photoelectrochemical performance, specific surface area and photocatalytic degradation propranolol (PRO) of BiOCl semiconductor-organic frameworks were studied by using different types of carbonate beverages (CBs) as solvents synthesized at room temperature. Interlayer organic molecules, as circuits of charge transmission can increase the strength of the electric field of the BiOCl layered structure and enhance the electronic coupling between layers. This, in turn, gives rise to narrowed bandgap energy and inhibited charge carrier recombination. Sugar (including fructose and glucose) molecules in the CB are helpful to insert into the BiOCl layer to make the thickness thinner, thus improving the specific surface area and light absorption capacity of BiOCl. Additionally, caramel molecules in CB can help broaden the light absorption and accelerate the charge transfer capacity of CB-BiOCl. The interaction of various molecules in the CB-BiOCl system significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation performance of PRO. Noticeably, twelve possible degradation intermediates were identified, and their toxicity decreased along with the degradation pathways. More importantly, the inhibiting effect of the degradation solution on zebrafish swimming activity weakened during the degradation process, indicating that the toxicity of the degradation solution gradually weakened. Furthermore, the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of PRO with molecules as the circuit of charge transmission of the BiOCl semiconductor-organic framework was proposed.