Zn-doped Bi 2 MoO 6 supported on reduced graphene oxide with increased surface active sites for degradation of ciprofloxacin

The reduced graphene oxide supported Zn-doped Bi 2 MoO 6 nanocomposites (Zn x Bi 2- x MoO 6 /RGO) are synthesized by an easy one-step solvothermal method for the rapid degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Characterization analyses show that Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets are uniformly supported on RGO, for which the agglomeration of Bi 2 MoO 6 is effectively inhibited, leading to more exposure of surface active sites. The degradation rate of Zn 0.1 Bi 1.9 MoO 6 /RGO 5 on CIP reached 90% after 120 min of visible light irradiation, which was 10.4 times the rate of unsupported Bi 2 MoO 6 . Zn doping and RGO loading synergistically reduce the recombination rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and result in the enhanced photocatalytic performance. Compared with previously reported catalysts, Zn 0.1 Bi 1.9 MoO 6 /RGO 5 can get higher degradation efficiency with shorter time and less dosage. In addition, after five cycles, the degradation efficiency is maintained at about 85%, showing perfect cycling stability of Zn 0.1 Bi 1.9 MoO 6 /RGO 5 . Photocatalytic mechanism suggests that the photogenerated •O 2 − and h + are main species for degrading CIP based on Zn x Bi 2- x MoO 6 /RGO complex.