Construction of LED-light-driven Z-scheme WO3/Bi12O15Cl6 heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation and antimicrobial

In order to alleviate the problem of water pollution, a novel Z-scheme WO3/Bi12O15Cl6 heterojunction was successfully designed to remove organic pollutants and bacteria from water bodies. Various characterization proved that WO3/Bi12O15Cl6 composites were successfully prepared. Photocurrent and electrochemical impedance (EIS) results verified the formation of heterojunctions could facilitate charge separation and migration. Under LED irradiation, the best sample 5% WO3/Bi12O15Cl6 was able to remove 76.0% tetracycline (TC) in 120 min and 98.9% rhodamine B (RhB) in 90 min and kill Escherichia coli (E. coli) in 50 min. A possible mechanism of photocatalysis was proposed through active species removal experiments and the corresponding characterization. This research offers a new path to construct effective Z-scheme heterojunctions, which is a promising option for wastewater purification.