Abstract

The production of highly efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants present in the environmental samples are highly important and challenging. In this study, we aimed to develop and evaluate SnS2QDs modified TiO2 nanosheets (SnS2QDs@TiO2NSs) 0D/2D as an advanced photocatalyst for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotics under visible light irradiation. We successfully synthesized the SnS2QDs@TiO2NSs 0D/2D heterojunction using hydrothermal method. The successful formation of SnS2QDs onto the surface of TiO2NSs was characterized by various advanced techniques. The material demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic performance, achieving a TC degradation efficiency of 98.71 % within 60 min. Moreover, SnS2QDs@TiO2NSs exhibited remarkable stability, maintaining its efficiency after five recycles. The degradation rate constant for SnS2QDs@TiO2NSs was 0.078 min-1, approximately 3.7 times greater than that of pure TiO2NSs. We further investigated the impact of various initial TC concentrations and pH values on the photocatalytic performance. Additionally, a plausible photocatalysis reaction mechanism was proposed. These results suggested that SnS2QDs@TiO2NSs hold great potential for antibiotic degradation and wastewater treatment applications.