LAUSR

Abstract A high-performance photocatalyst, attapulgite/Cu 2 O/Cu/g-C 3 N 4 (ATP/Cu 2 O/Cu/g-C 3 N 4 ), was constructed via a one-pot redox strategy under anoxic calcination. The as-prepared composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET), photoluminescence emission (PL), and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). Results indicate that ultra-fine CuO nanoparticles on the surface of rod-like attapulgite are in-situ reduced by NH 3 gas to generate Cu and minority Cu 2 O during the pyrocondensation of melamine. Meanwhile, the generated g-C 3 N 4 membrane is uniformly encapsulated on the surface of attapulgite/Cu 2 O/Cu to assemble Z-scheme Cu 2 O/Cu/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructure. ATP/Cu 2 O/Cu/g-C 3 N 4 shows improved visible light response ability and hole-electron suppression compared with ATP/g-C 3 N 4 . The photocatalytic performance and mechanism of the obtained photocatalyst for antibiotic degradation were evaluated by UV–Vis spectrometer and liquid chromatograph. ATP/Cu 2 O/Cu/g-C 3 N 4 can exhibit favorable photocatalytic activity and reusability for chloramphenicol. In addition, h + and·OH radicals are the main active sites in the photocatalytic process, and Cu species play a vital role in separation and retarding recombination of electron-hole pairs.