Abstract

Oxygen vacancy configuration is a promising means for tuning the electronic structure and determining the adsorption/desorption mode of the reactants in photocatalytic NOx oxidation. We report here that the formation of oxygen vacancies (OVs) can activate free NO and O2 molecules via a changed oxidation route, leading to fast conversion of NO into NO3-. The boosted NO oxidation reaction was conducted on novel OVs-induced BiVO4-Bi2S3 heterojunctions with the shape of double-deck hollow nanospheres assembled by a hard-templating treatment, followed by an annealing process. Abundant OVs were incorporated into the lattice of the as-synthesized heterojunctions, which significantly decreased the recombination level of the photo-exited carriers, leading to the promotion of the exchange of adsorbed ambiance oxygen and lattice oxygen, and the formation of reactive oxygen species and the final highly-efficient removal of NO under visible-light illumination. This work verifies the role of defective and hierarchical interface configuration on catalytic NOx oxidation and provides a viable methodology for the discovery of advanced photocatalysts via surface engineering.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.