Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline and Antibacterial Performance by S-Scheme Bi2WO6/TiO2 Heterojunction

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-5284-0

Abstract

Abstract: In this work, Bi₂WO₆ nanosheets were grown on the TiO₂ surface via a solvothermal method to construct a Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ material with S-scheme charge modulation heterojunctional structure. The heterojunctional composites significantly improve the separation and movement of charge carriers produced by increasing photon absorption, broadening the visible light harvesting range, and maintaining the redox potential of charge carriers. We performed a systematic analysis on the crystal structure and morphological characteristics of the material and the interface electronic transfer mechanism as well. The optimal tetracycline (TC) degradation rate of Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ was 72.2% within 40 min illuminated by a light source of λ>365 nm and at a Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ molar ratio of 0.1, which was 31.3 times higher than that of TiO₂ and 3.9 times higher than that of Bi₂WO₆. Through the use of liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and ecological structure activity relationship (ECOSAR), additional evaluations brought to light: there are two potential ways, in which degradation may occur. In addition, the biological toxicity of the generated intermediate products was checked through ECOSAR analysis. Finally, the S-scheme heterojunction charge transfer mechanism is proposed in detail. We hope that this work will further highlight the way of modulation of the excited charges in Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ nanocomposite to accelerate photocatalysis.

Key words: Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂, Tetracycline, Photocatalytic degradation, S-Scheme heterojunction, Charge carrier

MAO Zihan, LIU Shuyuan, LIN Shu, QI Kezhen, ZADA Amir, CHAI Siang-Piao. Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline and Antibacterial Performance by S-Scheme Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ Heterojunction[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(3): 907-917.

References

[1] Yang X., Guo Z., Xu Y., Li Z., Zhou Y., Yang Z., Zhou Z., Gao Y., Zhang J., Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40, 536.
[2] Yang Z., Hou T., Ma J., Yuan B., Tian Z., Yang W., Graham N. J., Water Res., 2020, 177, 115775.
[3] Chen X., Zhu Y., Chen J., Yan S., Xie S., Water Res., 2023, 243, 120397.
[4] Gao W., Li G., Wang Q., Zhang L., Wang K., Pang S., Zhang G., Lv L., Liu X., Gao W., Chem. Eng. J., 2023, 464, 142694.
[5] Akhter P., Arshad A., Saleem A., Hussain M., Catalysts, 2022, 12, 1331.
[6] Zhang B., Sun B., Liu F., Gao T., Zhou G., Sci. China Mater., 2024, 67, 424.
[7] Xiao M., Li D., Wei Y., He Y., Wang Z., Yu R., Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40, 513.
[8] Xu M., Li Z., Shen R., Zhang X., Zhang Z., Zhang P., Li X., Chin. J. Catal., 2025, 70, 431.
[9] Luo C., Long Q., Cheng B., Zhu B., Wang L., Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2023, 39, 2212026.
[10] Gao R., Shen R., Huang C., Huang K., Liang G., Zhang P., Li X., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 137, e202414229.
[11] Qiao X.-Q., Li C., Wang Z., Hou D., Li D.-S., Chin. J. Catal., 2023, 51, 66.
[12] Wang X.-P., Jin Z.-L., Li X., Rare Met., 2023, 42, 1494.
[13] Chen B., Ouyang P., Li Y., Duan Y., Lv K., Carabineiro S. A., Dong F., Sci. China Mater., 2023, 66, 1447.
[14] Qi B., Shen R., Ren Z., Teng Y., Ding H., Zhang X., Zhang Y., Hao L., Li X., J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2025, 232, 65.
[15] Wang Q., Zhu S., Zhao S., Li C., Wang R., Cao D., Liu G., Fuel, 2022, 322, 124163.
[16] Cheng J., Cheng B., Xu J., Yu J., Cao S., eScience, 2025, 5, 100354.
[17] Fujishima A., Honda K., Nature, 1972, 238, 37.
[18] Fu C., Li D., Zhang J., Guo W., Yang H., Zhao B., Chen Z., Fu X., Liang Z., Jiang L., Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2023, 39, 891.
[19] Wang W., Mei S., Jiang H., Wang L., Tang H., Liu Q., Chin. J. Catal., 2023, 55, 137.
[20] Li J., Li Y., Wang X., Yang Z., Zhang G., Chin. J. Catal., 2023, 51, 145.
[21] Wang Q., Zhao Y., Zhang Z., Liao S., Deng Y., Wang X., Ye Q., Wang K., Ceram. Int., 2022, 49, 977.
[22] Wang Q., Li H., Yu X., Jia Y., Chang Y., Gao S., Electrochim. Acta, 2019, 330, 135167.
[23] Ai L., Liu Z., Zhang X., Wang L., Jia D., Guo N., Zha M., Tan C., J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2025, 692, 137480.
[24] Collado L., Gomez-Mendoza M., García-Tecedor M., Oropeza F. E., Reynal A., Durrant J. R., Serrano D. P., App. Catal. B: Environ., 2023, 324, 122206.
[25] He F., Tang J., Xiao Q., He W., Chen Q., Chang Z., Zhao C., Liu K., Wang H., Sep. Purif. Technol., 2025, 360, 130926.
[26] Tai R., Gao S., Tang Y., Ma X., Ding P., Wu R., Li P., Song X., Chen S., Wang Q., Small, 2024, 20, 2310785.
[27] Xie J., Jiang Y., Li S., Xu P., Zheng Q., Fan X., Peng H., Tang Z., Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2023, 39, 2306037.
[28] Wang X., Li D., Wang W., Kozykan S., Liang Z., Ma Q., Yu X., Microchim Acta, 2024, 191, 201.
[29] Meng A., Cheng B., Tan H., Fan J., Su C., Yu J., App. Catal. B: Environ., 2021, 289, 120039.
[30] Huang K., Liang G., Sun S., Hu H., Peng X., Shen R., Li X., J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2024, 193, 98.
[31] Zhan X., Ding C., Zhao Q., Fang Y., Opt. Mater., 2024, 155, 115860.
[32] Huang H., Liu K., Chen K., Zhang Y., Zhang Y., Wang S., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 14379.
[33] Ma D., Wu J., Gao M., Xin Y., Ma T., Sun Y., Chem. Eng. J., 2016, 290, 136.
[34] Zan Z., Li X., Gao X., Huang J., Luo Y., Han L., Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2023, 39, 2209016.
[35] Zhang L., Ghimire P., Phuriragpitikhon J., Jiang B., Gonçalves A. A. S., Jaroniec M., J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2017, 513, 82.
[36] Jian L., Wang G., Liu X., Ma H., eScience, 2024, 4, 100206.
[37] Wang H., Wang L., Ye S., Song X., Food Hydrocoll., 2019, 88, 92.
[38] Gordanshekan A., Arabian S., Solaimany Nazar A. R., Farhadian M., Tangestaninejad S., Chem. Eng. J., 2022, 451, 139067.
[39] Deng H., Mao Z., Xu H., Zhang L., Zhong Y., Sui X., Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 2019, 168, 35.
[40] Wang Y.-Q., Yang C., Gan L.-H., Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2023, 48, 19372.
[41] Liu Z., Jin F., Li X., Zhang P., Jin Z., J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2024, 188, 131.
[42] Shaheer A. M., Thangavel N., Rajan R., Abraham D. A., Vinoth R., Devi K. S., Shankar M., Neppolian B., Adv. Powder Technol., 2021, 32, 4734.
[43] Yu J., Qi L., Jaroniec M., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2010, 114, 13118.
[44] Liu H., Wu C., Lv K., Tang D., Li Q., J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2024, 188, 144.
[45] Li S., Feng M., Liu X., Zhang C., Liao B., Inorg. Chem. Commun., 2025, 114715.
[46] Zhang J., Lv N., Wu M., Liu L., Fang L., Ma M., Pitcheri R., Lin S., Qi K., Chem. Eng. J., 2025, 169033.
[47] Chen X., Zhou J., Chen Y., Zhou Y., Ding L., Liang H., Li X., Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 2021, 145, 364.
[48] Dou K., Peng C., Wang R., Cao H., Yao C., Qiu J., Liu J., Tsidaeva N., Wang W., Chem. Eng. J., 2023, 455, 140813.
[49] Raza A. H., Farhan S., Yu Z., Wu Y., Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2024, 40, 2406020.
[50] Dong Y., Ji P., Xu X., Li R., Wang Y., Homewood K. P., Xia X., Gao Y., Chen X., J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2024, 7, e12643.
[51] Lu J., Lu Y., Rosaiah P., Lin S., Amir Z., Qi K., Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 41, 799.
[52] Li X., Kang B., Dong F., Zhang Z., Luo X., Han L., Huang J., Feng Z., Chen Z., Xu J., Peng B., Wang Z. L., Nano Energ., 2020, 81, 105671.
[53] Zou X., Dong Y., Ke J., Ge H., Chen D., Sun H., Cui Y., Chem. Eng. J., 2020, 400, 125919.
[54] Waqas M., Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40, 529.
[55] Lv N., Qi K., Zada A., Lin S., Colloids Surf., A, 2025, 137543.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline and Antibacterial Performance by S-Scheme Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ Heterojunction

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

References

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments

[1]	FENG Tianxu, SHAN Wei, ZHANG Yongzhou, HUANG Haibo, TANG Hua. S-Scheme Ti@Ce MOF Heterojunction for Enhanced Visible-light Photocatalytic Degradation [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(2): 602-611.
[2]	LUO Yingqi, YANG Xiaoxiao, SUN Hejia, WANG Ning, LIU Yonghong, LI Yunfeng. Enhanced Photocatalytic Antibiotic Degradation Through BiOBr/TiO₂ Heterojunction Engineering: Synergistic Charge Separation and Band Alignment Effects [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(1): 283-293.
[3]	LIU Chuang, GAO Tengyuan, WANG Guohong, CHENG Qiang, WANG Kai. Efficient CO₂ Photoreduction into Solar Fuels over MoO_3-x/COF S-Scheme Photocatalyst [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 726-733.
[4]	LIU Bin, CHENG Lin, ZHANG Yi, DU Hong, LI Lingcong, LI Yuhan, LUO Jianmin. Tungsten-doped SrTiO₃ for Boosting Photocatalytic Removal of Cr(VI) and Antibiotic Tetracycline:Charge Redistribution and Band Engineering [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 880-892.
[5]	TAO He, JI Chengshan, ZHANG Jian, YIN Yuanyuan, JIA Wenwen, JIANG Xin, XU Jie, YANG Yulin. Elaborate Design of Two Novel Fluorescent Zinc-based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient Tetracycline Antibiotics Detection [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2024, 40(3): 499-507.
[6]	XIAO Meng, QI Wenqian, JIA Shuanghui, PANG Mengting, SHI Fengcheng, MAO Hui. High-performance Removal of Tetracycline Enabled by Fe⁰ Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon@ZIF-8 [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2022, 38(6): 1349-1355.
[7]	ZHENG Xiuzhen, HAN Huijuan, YE Xiangju, MENG Sugang, ZHAO Shuangshuang, WANG Xiangxiang, CHEN Shifu. Fabrication of Z-Scheme WO₃/KNbO₃ Photocatalyst with Enhanced Separation of Charge Carriers [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2020, 36(5): 901-907.
[8]	WANG Huan, XIAO Liguang, WANG Chao, LIN Bin, LYU Sa, CHU Xuefeng, CHI Yaodan, YANG Xiaotian, WANG Xinyan. Pd/TiO₂ Nanospheres with Three-dimensional Hyperstructure for Enhanced Photodegradation of Organic Dye [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2019, 35(4): 667-673.
[9]	LIN Xinchen, XIE Feng, YU Xiaodan, TANG Xin, GUAN Heda, CHEN Yu, FENG Wei. Ultraviolet Light Assisted Hierarchical Porous Fe₂O₃ Catalyzing Heterogeneous Fenton Degradation of Tetracycline Under Neutral Condition with a Low Requirement of H₂O₂ [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2019, 35(2): 304-310.
[10]	YU Xiaodan, LIN Xinchen, LI Weiguang, FENG Wei. Effective Removal of Tetracycline by Using Biochar Supported Fe₃O₄ as a UV-Fenton Catalyst [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2019, 35(1): 79-84.
[11]	BU Tianjia, MA Xiaowei, ZHAO Bing, SONG Wei. Facile Synthesis of C₃N₄/Ag Composite Nanosheets as SERS Substrate for Monitoring the Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2018, 34(2): 290-295.
[12]	ZHANG Peng, TAN Mingrui, SUI Ning, WANG Yinghui, TIAN Chunlin, ZHANG Hanzhuang. Charge Carrier Dynamics in PDPP-F/PCBM Heterojunction Solar Cells [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2016, 32(6): 1034-1037.
[13]	LIU Wei-min. Foam-structured Activated Carbon-ceramic as TiO₂ Supports for Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2013, 29(2): 314-318.
[14]	MA Chun-hong, WANG Liang, YAN Yong-sheng, CHE Guang-bo, YIN Yan-su, ....... Extraction of Tetracycline via* Ionic Liquid Two-phase System [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2009, 25(6): 832-835.
[15]	WANG Qian, DU Zhen-wu, MA Qing-shan, ZHANG Yu-cheng, WU Xiao-dong, ....... Effect of Regulation of HSV-tk Gene Expression and Tumor Killed Activity with a Single Tetracycline-regulatable Plasmid Vector on HeLa Cells [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2009, 25(5): 677-680.