Preparation of Yb/Bi2WO6 material and the photocatalytic degradation of Ofloxacin in water

Abstract

In this work, ytterbium (Yb) doped Bi2WO66 composite (Yb/ Bi2WO6) was prepared using a one-step hydrothermal method. The investigation focused on the photocatalytic degradation effect of Yb/Bi2WO6 on ofloxacin in water, with experimental conditions carefully controlled. The results revealed that under various conditions, Yb/Bi2WO6 exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance for ofloxacin, achieving a degradation rate of 98.74% within 180 min and 93.27% after 4 cycles. These findings demonstrated that Yb/Bi2WO6 possessed good photocatalytic performance and cycling stability. The characterization results highlighted that the doping of Yb altered the morphology of Bi2WO6, narrowed the band gap, reduced photogenerated electron-hole recombination, and enhanced the photocatalytic performance of Yb/Bi2WO6. The free radical quenching experiments showed that superoxide radicals (･O2-) played a crucial role in the photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin by Yb/Bi2WO6. Overall, this work provides new insights and theoretical support for the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics using modified bismuth-based materials doped with rare earth elements.