A hydrangea-like nitrogen-doped ZnO/BiOI nanocomposite for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride

The effectiveness of photocatalysts can be impacted by the high compounding efficiency of photogenerated carriers, which depends on the morphology of the photocatalyst. Here, a hydrangea-like N–ZnO/BiOI composite has been prepared for achieving efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) under visible light. The N–ZnO/BiOI exhibits a high photocatalytic performance, degrading nearly 90% of TCH within 160 min. After 3 cycling runs, the photodegradation efficiency remained above 80%, demonstrating its good recyclability and stability. The major active species at work are superoxide radicals (·O(2)(−)) and photo-induced holes (h(+)) in the photocatalytic degradation of TCH. This work provides not only a new idea for the design of photodegradable materials but also a new method for the effective degradation of organic pollutants.