Construction of Mesoporous NCQDs–BiOCl Composites for Photocatalytic-Degrading Organic Pollutants in Water under Visible and Near-Infrared Light

Abstract

Mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dot (NCQD)/BiOCl composites are fabricated via a facile solvothermal method, which exhibits outstanding photocatalysis for removing organic pollutants under visible and near-infrared light. The modification effect of NCQDs on the surface of BiOCl molecules not only extends the visible and near-infrared light response ranges but also improves the efficiency with which charge carriers are separated, which is beneficial to enhancing photocatalytic performance. Investigations of the photocatalytic reaction mechanism indicate that holes and O2− are the main active species in the degradation process of levofloxacin over mesoporous NCQD/BiOCl composites, where the holes play the dominant role.