Efficient tetracycline degradation under visible light irradiation using CuBi2O4/ZnFe2O4 type II heterojunction photocatalyst based on two spinel oxides

With the increasing use of tetracycline (TC) worldwide, it cannot be ignored the brought environmental risks. Therefore, it is critical to effectively solve TC in the environment. A novel type II heterojunction photocatalyst CuBi2O4/ZnFe2O4 (CBO-ZFO) for efficient TC degradation under visible light irradiation was developed. Various characterization techniques including XRD, XPS, TEM, HRTEM, UV-vis, ESR, PL, etc were used. It was proved that the excellent photocatalytic performance of CBO-ZFO composite photocatalyst was attributed to the for-mation of heterojunction. The formed heterojunction could promote the separation and migration of photo -generated carriers and reduce the existence of potential barriers, which could reduce the electron-hole recombination. A good stability had been shown after 5 cycles. The h(+) and .OH were the main active species of CBO-ZFO heterojunction composite in photocatalytic degradation mechanism.