0D carbon dots intercalated Z-scheme CuO/g-CN heterojunction with dual charge transfer pathways for synergetic visible-light-driven photo-Fenton-like catalysis.

Photo-Fenton-like catalysis allows development of novel advanced oxidation technology with promising application in wastewater treatment. In this work, carbon dots (CDs) were intercalated between CuO nanoparticles and coralloid flower-like graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) to fabricate a ternary CuO/CDs/g-CN hybrid for synergetic visible-light-driven photo-Fenton-like oxidation. The CuO/CDs/g-CN hybrid showed remarkable degradation efficiency towards recalcitrant organic contamination, excellent tolerance to realistic environmental conditions, exceptional stability and wide universality, declaring great potential for practical applications. •OH and •O radicals were demonstrated to be the primary contributors in the photo-Fenton-like system. Mechanism studies reveal dual charge transfer pathways in the Z-scheme CuO/g-CN heterojunction assisted by interfacial electron transmission bridges of CDs, which can simultaneously boost the reduction of Cu to Cu in the Fenton-like cycle and accelerate the Z-scheme electron flow from CuO to g-CN, leading to synergistic enhancement of the catalytic performance. This work would afford a feasible strategy to develop reinforced solar energy-assisted photo-Fenton-like catalysis systems for water remediation.