Constructing oxygen defect-rich Bi2WO6/CeO2 S-scheme heterojunction for boosted photocatalytic antibiotic removal

Efficient photocatalytic eradication of antibiotic contaminant from water is of significance for the sustainability of the aquatic environment. Oxygen defective Bi2WO6/CeO2 S -scheme heterojunctions were obtained by twostep hydrothermal processes. The optimal Bi2WO6/CeO2 heterostructure (BC -10) delivered degradation efficiencies of 86.6 % and 87.1 % for tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), respectively. The boosted photocatalytic performance of BC -10 was attributed to the increased specific surface area, S -scheme construction and the formed oxygen -defect energy level which promoted the fast charge transfer and separation of photoinduced h+/e- pairs. In addition, experiments confirmed that BC -10 possessed a good catalytic performance for other organic pollutants. The toxic behavior of the TC-removal solution was verified via the Ecological StructureActivity Relationship (ECOSAR) model and hemp -pea growth experiment, and the possible photocatalytic degradation mechanism of TC and CIP on BC -10 was proposed. This work offers an applicable construction concept of advanced photocatalysts with high redox capacity for wastewater remediation.