Kinetics, reaction pathways, and mechanism investigation for improved environmental remediation by 0D/3D CdTe/Bi2WO6 Z-scheme catalyst

[Display omitted] •A novel CTQDs/BWO Z-scheme heterojunction was fabricated.•Quantum effect of CTQDs enhanced visible light absorption of photocatalyst.•The Z-scheme heterojunction promoted photocatalytic E. coli inactivation and TC degradation.•Relationship between photocatalytic property and material structure was analyzed by DFT. A novel 0D/3D CdTe quantum dots/Bi2WO6 (CTQDs/BWO) Z-scheme photocatalyst was designed to enhance photochemical energy conversion efficiency. Experimental results demonstrated that the CTQDs/BWO injected electron lifetime, interfacial carrier transfer efficiency, and visible light absorption ability were observably enhanced due to the quantum effect and Z-scheme heterojunction synergy. In particular, 1.0 % CTQDs/BWO displayed excellent tetracycline removal efficiency (91.45 %) and prominent E. coli photoinactivation under visible light. In addition, its tetracycline removal efficiency remained above 85 % after five cyclic experiments. Moreover, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and LC–MS spectra, we deeply analyzed the photoinduced electron transfer pathways and photocatalytic reaction degradation pathways and proposed a Z-scheme heterojunction model. This work provides a novel strategy for designing efficient Z-scheme photocatalysts and exhibits promising prospects for utilizing photocatalysts to address water contaminants.