Photodegradation of seven bisphenol analogues by Bi5O7I/UiO-67 heterojunction: Relationship between the chemical structures and removal efficiency

Abstract

Bisphenol analogues have been widely used and displayed adverse effects on human beings. Although many photocatalysts displayed remarkable performance in degrading bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol F (BPF), it is not clear if they may also efficiently decompose other bisphenol analogues. In this study, Bi5O7I with satisfactory photocatalytic activity was doped with metal-organic framework (UiO-67) to build up Bi5O7I/UiO-67 heterojunctions. The heterojunction enhanced the charge mobility and separation of the electron-hole pairs, which was conducive for improving the photocatalytic activity. Consequently, 4:1-Bi5O7I/UiO-67 realized highly effective degradation of seven bisphenol analogues in one hour. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations uncovered that the reaction rate constant k displayed a positive correlation with the Hirshfeld charge q (N) of tertiary butyl carbon attached with different substituent groups. This provides a prospective heterojunction catalyst to degrade a group of pollutants with similar structures, and sheds light on the structural relationship of degradation efficiency.