Efficient photocatalytic degradation of TC under visible light with three-dimensional flower shaped N doped BiOBr/CuBi2O4

As a commonly used antibiotic, tetracycline has significantly harmed the ecosystem. A novel flower-like Z-scheme N-BiOBr/CuBi2O4 photocatalyst was successfully prepared by solvothermal method. Under visible light, it exhibited a strong photocatalytic activity and could break down 94% of TC in an hour. The substance was highly stable and photocatalytically active. The superoxide radical (·O2−) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) were proven to be the active species that played a substantial role based on the results of the capture experiment and electron spin resonance (ESR), and the charge transfer mechanism of the Z-scheme heterojunction was presented. A novel plan for the photocatalytic destruction of contaminants in water was described. •This is the first article to report the effective preparation of a novel N-BiOBr/CuBi2O4 photocatalyst.•The major active species in the TC degradation process are ·O2− and ·OH.•The mechanism of TC photodegradation was discussed.•The N-BiOBr/CuBi2O4 heterojunction responds well to visible light.