In this work, we have synthesized the ternary compound ZnO/Ag3PO4/Bi7O9I3 for the photocatalytic process of tetracycline. In order to characterize the synthesized photo-catalysts, UV-Vis, FESEM, TEM, N2-adsorption-desorption, XRD, and FT-IR were used. It was confirmed that the synthesized compounds have the nanoscale dimensions. Using the N2 adsorption-desorption method, it was determined that the specific surface area increased from 8.9 for ZnO to 60.24 for ZnO/Ag3PO4/Bi7O9I3, which is suitable for improving the photocatalytic performance. Also, the results of XRD, FESEM, and TEM confirmed the formation of ternary hetero-nanostructure of ZnO/Ag3PO4/Bi7O9I3. The nanocomposite was used in the process of photocatalysis of tetracycline under LED lamp and its performance was evaluated. The effective factors onto the photo-degradation of tetracycline such as pH, time, dose of photocatalyst and the initial concentration of tetracycline were investigated. Also, the addition of hydrogen peroxide onto the photo-catalysis is studied. It was found that in the high initial concentration of tetracycline, the percentage of cracking is low, while in low concentrations, the photocatalysis is at the highest level. The optimum dose of photocatalyst is obtained to be 0.03 g in 100 mL. The proposed photocatalyst indicate the superior reusability and selectivity, demonstrating a promising photocatalyst for photodegradation of organic pollutants in the environmental protection.
