Visible-light-response Fe-doped BiOCl microspheres with efficient photocatalysis-Fenton degradation of antibiotics

The combination of photocatalysis and Fenton reaction has been considered as a promising technology for the removal of antibiotics from wastewater. In this study, the Fe-doped BiOCl was synthesized by solvothermal method for photocatalysis-Fenton degradation of levofloxacin (LEV). Fe/BiOCl exhibited a flower-like microsphere structure with the lattice doping of Fe3+ in BiOCl. Under the synergistic of visible light irradiation and H2O2, the excellent degradation performance of Fe/BiOCl towards LEV was achieved (97.8 %) after 100-min reaction at Fe-doping content of 5 % and H2O2 addition of 3 mM. The Fe deposition extended the light absorption range and reduced the recombination of photogenerated carriers. The photogenerated electrons could accelerate the cycling of Fe2+/Fe3+, and improve the utilization efficiency of H2O2. The hydroxyl radical (OH), superoxide radical (O-2(-)) and holes (h(+)) played crucial roles during the photocatalysis-Fenton degradation of LEV. The present study provided valuable insights into the development of photocatalysis-Fenton synergy system for the effective decontamination of antibiotic wastewater.