Controlled synthesis of 3D marigold-like ZnIn₂S₄/Ti₃C₂ for rapid and efficient removal of antibiotics

Developing of a rapid and efficient photocatalyst for the removal of antibiotics with high concentration in wastewater remediation is of great importance. 3D marigold-like ZnIn2S4/Ti3C2 was successfully fabricated by coupling 2D Ti3C2 nanosheets with hierarchical 3D ZnIn2S4 using a hydrothermal method. The degradation efficiency of ZnIn2S4/Ti3C2 composite for tetracycline (50 mg/L) and 7-Aminocephalosporanic acid (25 mg/L) within 120 min and 90 min can reach up to 91% and 95%, respectively. The introduction of Ti3C2 modulates the 3D marigold-like architec-ture of ZnIn2S4, which not only boosted its photon capture performance and adsorption capacity caused by the increased specific surface area, but also effectively separated photo-generated elec-trons and holes via the well-defined 2D/2D interface between ZnIn2S4 and Ti3C2. The synergistic effect of physical adsorption and photocatalytic degradation contributes to the high degradation efficiency and fast degradation performance. ZnIn2S4/Ti3C2 still exhibits high photocatalytic activ-ity and excellent physicochemical stability after many cycles. (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).