Coupled Cu doping and Z-scheme heterojunction for synergistically enhanced tetracycline photodegradation

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis by utilizing solar energy for sustainable organic pollutant elimination has been a promising tactic to alleviate environmental issues. Nevertheless, the development of robust and efficient photocatalysts to degrade organic pollutants still faces major challenges because of insufficient charge separation. Here we design and fabricate a heterojunction consisting of copper, carbon-modified TiO2, and sulfur-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets (i.e., S-C3N4/Cu/C-TiO2). The heterostructure affords a remarkable synergistic photocatalysis for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation, achieving an 82.6