A highly energy-efficient magnetoelectric–photocatalytic coupling for water remediation

Abstract

Contaminated water is one of the main infection routes for serious diseases, and water remediation of different environmental contaminations is an urge today. Here, we introduce a novel high-μ ribbon FeBSi–ZnO magnetoelectric (ME) nanocomposite that exhibits a magnetoelectric–photocatalytic (MEPC) coupling effect, which further enhances electrochemical activity for water remediation. Compared to the previously reported ultrasonic piezoelectric-photocatalytic technique, the proposed MEPC coupling system is 100–1200 times more energy-efficient. This energy-efficient catalysis can be attributed to the effective charge energy shifting generated by the low-power MEPC coupling system, which promotes the surface redox reaction via transferred electrons and holes and generation of the reactive oxygen species of •O−2 and •OH. It is also found that the kinetic rate of organic pollutant degradation under MEPC activity is approximately three times faster than that of a pure PC process. The degradation efficiency for indigo carmine (IC), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RB) organic pollutants is 98% (less than 60 min), 97%, and 92% within 120 min, respectively. Also, MEPC activity could conduct 99.9% reduction of E. coli bacteria within 30 min. This study, therefore, provides an original MEPC system and an effective strategy for the sustainable environmental remediation endowed with an energy-efficient and low-cost nature owing to the multiphysical field synergetic effect.