Antibacterial Z-scheme ZnInS/AgMoO composite photocatalytic nanofibers with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light.

Considering the biocompatibility of natural proteins and the strong photo-redox capability of Z-scheme heterojunctions, we fabricated Z-scheme ZnInS/AgMoO@Zein (Z ZA) photocatalytic membranes via electrospinning and in-situ precipitation for enrofloxacin (ENR) degradation. Z ZA exhibit a fiber structure wrapped with ZnInS/AgMoO heterojunctions. Photocatalytic studies and various characterization results certified that the Z-scheme structure between ZnInS and AgMoO significantly increases the lifetime and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, which in turn enhances the photodegradation of ENR. The degradation rate of Z ZA-10 (ZnInS/10 wt% AgMoO@Zein) with the highest catalytic activity could reach 100% within 120 min compared with other samples. For ENR degradation, •O radicals were certified to be the primary active species by trapping experiments, and several possible conversion pathways of ENR in photocatalytic reactions were proposed. Furthermore, the antibacterial rates of Z ZA-20 (ZnInS/20 wt% AgMoO@Zein) against B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and E. coli could reach 90.09%, 89.78%, 84.34%, and 95.31%, respectively. Antibacterial evaluations and cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that Z ZA photocatalytic films had desirable antibacterial properties and low cytotoxicity, rendering them safe and effective for use in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater.