Ternary Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/BiOBr/g-C3N4 photocatalyst for highly efficient hydrogen production coupled with diverse antibiotic degradation

Semiconductor photocatalyst with green and high-efficiency is a quite effective way to solve environmental pollution and energy crises. In this work, a series of novel ternary Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/BiOBr/g-C3N4 (FBC) heterojunctions were prepared by hydrothermal method. Under visible light irradiation, 5.2% FBC degraded 92% of ciprofloxacin (CIP) within 30 min. By adjusting the composition ratio to optimize the photocatalytic performance, 5.2% FBC could remove 94% of ciprofloxacin (CIP, 10 mg/L) in 2 h with a hydrogen production rate of 2.57 mmol·g−1·h−1, and 2.4% FBC could remove 90% of levofloxacin (LVX, 10 mg/L) in 2 h with a hydrogen production rate of 1.86 mmol·g−1·h−1. These can be attributed to ternary Z-scheme FBC heterostructure, leading to the higher transfer rate of charge carriers while retaining strong redox ability, which is further affirmed by DFT. The results provide a simple way for the development of highly active and multifunctional ternary photocatalysts for pollutant removal and clean energy generation. [Display omitted] •A novel ternary photocatalyst α-Fe2O3/BiOBr/g-C3N4 (FBC) synthesized by simple solvothermal process.•The FBC exhibits excellent simultaneously hydrogen production and degradation activity and stability.•The FBC demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic efficacy for different antibiotics only by adjusting constituent ratios.•The ternary Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and confirmed by DFT.