Applied Surface Science, Vol.491, 88-94, 2019
Fabrication of p-n CuBi2O4/MoS2 heterojunction with nanosheets-on-microrods structure for enhanced photocatalytic activity towards tetracycline degradation
Semiconductor-based photocatalytic oxidation technology represents a promising strategy for clean, low-cost, and environmental friendly to solve the water pollution problems by utilizing solar energy. Herein, p-CuBi2O4/n-MoS2 as a noble-metal-free efficient visible-light driven composite was successfully synthesized via a simply one-pot hydrothermal method, which possessed the unique nanosheets-on-microrods heterostructure. Based on the experimental data analysis, with the assistance of MoS2, the absorption band of the prepared heterojunction becomes broader and covers the entire visible region. And the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of tetracycline was achieved when introducing similar to 5% weight ratio of MoS2 in the composite (76%, 120 min), which is about 2.79 and 2.96 times than that of MoS2 and CuBi2O4, respectively. And the improvement of the photocatalytic activity of the p-CuBi2O4/n-MoS2 derives from the energy band matching and the formation of the built-in electric field. This work will open opportunities for designing the high-efficient CuBi2O4-based p-n heterojunction photocatalysts and would be of great significance to satisfy ever-increasing environmental demands in the future.