TiO₂@g-C₃N₄ heterojunction with directional charge migration behavior for photodegradation of tetracycline antibiotics

The performance of semiconductor photocatalysts in organic contaminants degradation is strongly influenced by the structure-related charge separation behavior. Hence, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanowire, which is efficient in directional migration of photocarriers, is prepared and employed as the carrier for the in situ growth of discrete graphite carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) to form a compact and high-reactive heterojunction photocatalyst. The structures and properties of the samples are systematically characterized and discussed. The experimental results indicate that the tetracycline photodegradation efficiency obtained by employing TiO₂@g-C₃N₄ as the photocatalyst is improved by 126% and 75%, respectively, compared to that using TiO₂ nanowire and bulk g-C₃N₄. This work highlights that precisely controlling the microstructure and charge separation behavior is critical for preparing high-reactive photocatalysts.