In situ preparation of novel p–n junction photocatalyst MgAl-LDH/(BiO)2CO3 for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

MgAl-LDH/(BiO)2CO3 p-n heterojunction nanocomposite was prepared using a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared MgAl-LDH/(BiO)2CO3 composites were characterized through XRD, SEM&EDX, TEM, FT-IR, XPS, as well as UV–vis DRS. The photodegradation activity of MgAl-LDH/(BiO)2CO3 was examined through the degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation. The maximum degradation efficiency (97.2%) was achieved among the heterostructures when the percentage of MgAl-LDH was 15%. Moreover, the degradation efficiency of MgAl-LDH/(BiO)2CO3 still reached 88% after five successive cycles. Furthermore, a photocatalytic mechanism involved was proposed by exploring its energy band structure. In this study, a novel method for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline was proposed.