MWCNT supported V2O5 quantum dot nanoparticles decorated Bi2O3 nanosheets hybrid system: Efficient visible light driven photocatalyst for degradation of ciprofloxacin

A novel composite of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) supported V2O5 quantum dots decorated Bi2O3 hybrid was prepared by the simple wet-impregnation method, and the photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples was investigated against the photodegradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Herein, different samples of pristine, V2O5/Bi2O3 and MWCNT@V2O5/Bi2O3 hybrid photocatalyst were prepared and systematically characterized by various physicochemical techniques. The characterization results demonstrated that the introduction of MWCNT can change the energy band gap of V2O5/Bi2O3, and the band energies vary with a constituent of MWCNT@V2O5/Bi2O3 catalyst, in which MWCNT@V2O5/Bi2O3-5 (0.05 g@0.50 g:0.50 g) has the optimal band gap energy of 2.46 eV. The photocatalytic test demonstrates that the MWCNT@V2O5/Bi2O3-5 hybrid composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in CIP degradation compared to that pure and other photocatalyst and its degradation efficiency did not decrease significantly even after five cyclic experiments. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was due to the formation of heterojunction among MWCNT, V2O5 and Bi2O3, which distinctly improved the separation efficiency of the photogenerated charge carrier, thus increasing the degradation performance. This work gives a new approach to designing an efficient photocatalyst for contaminants degradation.