Enhanced Photocatalytic Antibiotic Degradation Through BiOBr/TiO₂ Heterojunction Engineering: Synergistic Charge Separation and Band Alignment Effects

Abstract

Herein, a BiOBr/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalyst engineered via controlled solvothermal synthesis demonstrates exceptional oxytetracycline (OTC) degradation efficiency. Comprehensive characterization [scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)] confirmed the successful formation of a BiOBr/TiO₂ heterostructure. Subsequent analyses [transient photocurrent (TPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)] verified optimized band alignment, achieving 87.8% OTC removal within 90 min (a 3.39-fold enhancement over pristine BiOBr). Mechanistic studies revealed dual degradation pathways involving radicals (·O₂⁻/·OH) and direct hole oxidation. The heterojunction significantly extended carrier lifetime (EIS arc radius reduced by 68%) while maintaining sufficient redox potentials. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited robust stability (>75% efficiency after 8 cycles) and practical applicability in a simulated wastewater system. This work provides new insights and data for efficient antibiotic removal and establishes fundamental principles for heterojunction engineering in antibiotic remediation.

Keywords

Heterojunction / Photocatalytic degradation / Oxytetracycline / Synergistic charge separation / Band alignment effect

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Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH