Turning waste into wealth: Conversion of spent plastic to carbon quantum dots to construct CQDs/g-C3N4 heterojunction for photocatalytic removal of antibiotics

Key Points

• Photocatalytic removal of antibiotics was effectively achieved using carbon quantum dots.
• The heterojunction composed of CQDs and g-C3N4 was particularly efficient with a removal efficiency of 85%.
• Analysis utilized the conversion of spent plastic into carbon quantum dots, which were then applied in the system.
• Highlights the potential for waste recycling and antibiotic reduction in water systems using novel materials.