Insights into the PMS activation towards phenol removal mechanism by a Ti3C2-MXene doped BiVO4 photocatalyst

Abstract

In the field of water treatment, photocatalysis and the peroxomonosulfate (PMS) deep oxidation process have emerged as potential solutions for the degradation of refractory organic pollutants. In this study, a novel BiVO4/Ti3C2 composite photocatalytic material was successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The energy band structure of this material was utilized to establish Schottky barriers, enhancing the separation of photogenerated carriers. This, in turn, facilitated the activation of PMS under visible light, generating reactive species that effectively degraded phenol. The results demonstrate that in the BT-3/PMS system, the degradation rate of phenol reached 87.2 % within 60 min, with a maximum degradation rate constant of 0.02537 min−1. This represents an 8.8-fold improvement compared to pure BiVO4 and a 5.2-fold improvement compared to pure PMS. Free radical tests indicated that SO4·- was the primary reactive species involved in the degradation process. This study offers a promising approach for the design of efficient and stable Schottky junction photocatalysts that can be activated by visible light and PMS to effectively degrade organic pollutants.