Hybrid Photocatalyst Research Articles

Thiocoumarin-based Au(I) Complexes and Au(0) Systems over TiO2 as Hybrid Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation under UV-Vis Light.

This work focuses on the photocatalytic production of hydrogen from the photodehydrogenation of ethanol using several gold(I) complexes and gold(0) systems over titanium dioxide (P90 TiO2) as hybrid photocatalysts. The photocatalytic systems are composed of at least one coumarin-based ligand, which can enhance the photocatalytic activity by its photon-absorbing capacity due to its chromophore properties. The photocatalytic behavior for hydrogen generation of the studied samples is compared under UV-vis light setting the total gold-based co-catalyst loading at 1 wt% onto the TiO2 photocatalysts and when the gold content is maintained at 0.25 wt%. The incorporation of gold co-catalysts results in an enhancement of hydrogen production up to 2.7 times compared to a conventional Au/TiO2 reference sample. The results show an increase in the total hydrogen production under UV-vis light due to the combined presence of coumarin chromophore, gold-based co-catalysts, and gold plasmonic nanoparticles. A deep characterization of the samples from each group is performed by UV-vis spectroscopy, XPS, HRTEM, and HAADF-STEM, observing the presence of plasmonic gold nanoparticles for sample "AuL1NPs" and the reduction of the gold present in sample "AuL1a," which explains the highest observed hydrogen production rates of this study.

Cu2O/H2Ti3O7/Cellulose biohybrid film with efficient photocatalytic and antibacterial activities in solar-driven environmental decontamination

Increasing efforts have been devoted to cellulose-based multifunctional biomaterials for environmental applications. In this study, solvothermal method combined with impregnation reduction process of Cu2+ has been developed to create versatile Cu2O/H2Ti3O7/CP (cellulose paper) biocomposite films that demonstrates efficacy in treating wastewater from organic compounds, disinfecting it from microbes and also purifying the air from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). H2Ti3O7 nanosheets decorated with Cu2O nanoparticles exhibit an excellent visible-light responsibility. Furthermore, the Cu2O/H2Ti3O7/CP biocomposite film demonstrated enhanced efficacy in removing aniline in the liquid phase and 1-propanol in the gaseous phase compared to the H2Ti3O7/CP. This enhanced photocatalytic activity is primarily due to the synergistic effect between Cu2O and H2Ti3O7, which suppresses the recombination of charge carriers and improves their mobility. Reuse tests confirm the stability of the prepared hybrid photocatalyst. Moreover, the biocomposite exhibits good antimicrobial properties, which contributed to the effective inactivation of Escherichia coli. This proves its versatility as a photocatalyst for a broad range of biological and environmental applications.

Hydroxylated SiO2-modified {0 0 1}-TiO2 nanosheets as a surface multifunctional photocatalyst for enhanced degradation of gaseous toluene

The relatively weak activity and serious deactivation of anatase TiO2 nanosheet catalysts with highly exposed {001} facets ({001}-TiO2) limits its wide application in photocatalytic degradation of gaseous pollutants. Herein, we propose a hybrid photocatalyst composed of {001}-TiO2 and SiO2 with numerous hydroxyl groups (denoted as {001}-TiO2/HO-SiO2). The catalyst showed excellent performance for gaseous toluene degradation under UV illumination, with 99.2 % removal efficiency and 204.7 μmol L−1 CO2 yield (about 85.9 % mineralization efficiency) within 120 min. It also demonstrated superior durability over five consecutive cycles of toluene photodegradation. The modification of HO–SiO2 on {001}-TiO2 facilitate the selective adsorption of toluene on the catalyst surface by H-bonding interaction, and make the major poisoning species, benzoic acid, easily desorb from the surface, reducing the catalyst inactivation. Most importantly, we found that the formed TiOSi bond promotes the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and provides abundant available electrons for the formation of reactive oxygen radicals and the left holes for the conversion of toluene to benzyl radicals or oxidation of H2O to hydroxyl radicals, which results in the improved activity. This study highlights the importance of the introduction of secondary components with special functions on TiO2, which is helpful for the design of photocatalysts with high performance and anti-deactivation ability for treatment of volatile organic compounds.

Facile synthesis of bio-carbon supported cobalt hexacyanoferrate hybrid photocatalyst for effective removal of hazardous organic pollutants

Facile synthesis of bio-carbon supported cobalt hexacyanoferrate hybrid photocatalyst for effective removal of hazardous organic pollutants

Porous biochar supported PET plastic waste MOF heterostructure as a novel, efficient and recyclable catalyst for acetaminophen degradation

Herein, the innovative hybrid photocatalyst PET-based Zn-MOF on orange peel biochar (BC)(PZM/BC) was designed and synthesized via the hydrothermal method. Electrochemical methods have been used to demonstrate the action of the PET-MOF in the PZM/BC photocatalyst as a medium for electron transfer. The latter involved the synthesis of a zinc-containing metal–organic framework (MOF) in which the linkers were derived from the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) originating from plastic wastes. According to research, the catalytic reactions are sped up when porous BC and linker PET are assimilated into PZM/BC photocatalyst hetero-junction. Furthermore, BC stored electrons under light and released these electrons under dark conditions. When BC was combined with PET-MOF, the electrons on the biochar activated the catalytic redox activity of acetaminophen. Additionally, it lowers the reassimilation rate due to the combined meshed nanostructures and functionality of PET-MOF and PZM/BC. UV–Vis DRS, Mott-Schottky, Photoluminescence(PL), and Electrochemical Impedance spectra(EIS) results showed that the PZM/BC exhibited efficient spatial separation and transportation of photogenerated charge carriers and exhibited superior photocatalytic ability. Electron spin resonance(ESR) analysis confirmed that ⋅OH and h+ were the predominant radical species responsible for the degradation of acetaminophen(ACT). The optimum conditions for ACT removal were observed at pH 6.07, with a PZM/BC dosage of 0.1 g L−1, and an initial ACT concentration of 50 mg L−1, highlighting the pivotal role of the PZM/BC system in ACT degradation. Furthermore, potential photocatalytic degradation pathways of ACT were inferred renders on the identified intermediates which are responsible for the degradation of refractory intermediates. Regeneration trials were carried out to assess the stability of the photocatalyst. Additionally, the degraded intermediates generated during the degradation processes were examined, providing a comprehensive elucidation of the degradation mechanism.Graphical

Electronically Inverted Perovskite‐Type Co‐catalyst as a Universal Platform for Enhanced Photocatalysis

AbstractCo‐catalysts are commonly employed as catalytic centers to activate reactants and intermediates for driving redox reactions with photogenerated carriers during photocatalysis. Herein, a group of electronically inverted perovskite‐type nitrides CuxIn1−xNNi3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are reported as novel and versatile co‐catalysts for the significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production performance on various photocatalysts, such as metal sulfides (CdS, ZnIn2S4), carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), and metal oxide (TiO2), respectively. The hybrid photocatalyst Cu0.5In0.5NNi3/CdS exhibits an optimal activity up to 6945 µmol g−1 h−1 and a remarkable enhancement factor of 6146% compared with that of pristine CdS. Besides, a high reaction stability with repetitive photocatalytic cycles is achieved. The obvious improvement of activity can be ascribed to the promoted charge separation of energetic carriers due to the metallic properties of CuxIn1−xNNi3 and abundant Ni active sites. A near‐zero Gibbs free energy of adsorbed atomic hydrogen on the Ni‐site is thermodynamically favorable for hydrogen evolution, which can be regulated by electronic states of A‐sites (Cu/In). This work not only demonstrates the great potential of perovskite‐structured nitrides as a universal platform for enhanced photocatalysis but also addresses the importance of exploring new catalytic applications for unique perovskite‐derivatives with cations/anions exchanged in coordinated sites of polyhedral.

Micro-nano bubbles in action: AC/TiO2 hybrid photocatalysts for efficient organic pollutant degradation and antibacterial activity

Developing highly active and sustainable photocatalysts is crucial for environmental remediation. This work focuses on the enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency of synthetic dyes using TiO2-coated AC hybrid photocatalysts under MNB aeration. The TiO2-coated AC hybrid photocatalyst (HP) was synthesized via a sol-gel method and characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, HR-TEM, and DRS. The study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of three dyes indigo carmine (IC), reactive black 5 (RB5), and methylene blue (MB) in wastewater, with initial dye concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 μM. Under UVA irradiation, the hybrid photocatalyst with MNB aeration (HP + UVA + MNB) achieved the highest degradation efficiencies of 69.09%, 60.06%, and 55.19% for IC, MB, and RB5, respectively. Further analysis showed that the chromophores and complex structures of these dyes were broken into intermediate products. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model was used to describe the reaction mechanisms. The HP + UVA + MNB system demonstrated superior photocatalytic degradation activity, making it suitable for operational and environmental applications in dye wastewater treatment. Additionally, the antibacterial properties of AC and HP were tested at 100 μg/mL, showing effectiveness against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli.

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water by novel acid soluble collagen-polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer embedded in Nitrogen-TiO2

Herein, we have synthesized acid-soluble collagen (ASC), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide to form a novel hybrid photocatalyst nanocomposite (N-TiO2/ASC-PVP). The results of XRD, SEM and TEM revealed that the as-synthesized photocatalyst was composed of spheroidal particles, which were smaller than undoped TiO2.XPS analysis revealed that N was effectively incorporated into the lattice of TiO2 through substituting oxygen atoms, and N might coexist in the form of substitutional N (O–Ti–N) and interstitial N (TiON). The N-TiO2/ASC-PVP composite calcined at 200 and 400 °C exhibited high photocatalytic degradation rates for phenol, naphthalene (Nap), fluoranthene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), and anthracene (Ana), achieving a 98.6 % removal rate within 120 min at a dosage of 10 mg/L. The enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the smaller crystal size, more surface hydroxyl groups, stronger light absorption in visible region and narrower band gap energy. This innovative hybrid photocatalyst holds immense potential for applications in materials science and nanotechnology, promising to revolutionize various industries.

2D porous hexaniobate-bismuth vanadate hybrid photocatalyst for photodegradation of aquatic refractory pollutants

Metal oxide semiconductors are highly promising due to their excellent photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of industrial waste containing refractory chemical compounds. A hybrid structure with other semiconductors provides improved photocatalytic performance. In this work, porous and two-dimensional (2D) hexaniobate-bismuth vanadate (Nb6-BiVO4) Z-scheme hybrid photocatalysts are synthesized by chemical solution growth (CSG) of BiVO4 over electrophoretically deposited Nb6 thin films. The structural and morphological analysis of Nb6-BiVO4 hybrid thin films evidenced the well-crystalline uniform growth of monoclinic scheelite BiVO4 over lamellar Nb6 nanosheets. The Nb6-BiVO4 hybrid thin films exhibit a highly porous randomly aggregated nanosheet network, creating the house-of-cards type morphology. The Nb6-BiVO4 hybrid thin films display a strong visible light absorption with band gap energy of 2.29 eV and highly quenched photoluminescence signal, indicating their visible light harvesting nature and intimate electronic coupling between hybridized species beneficial for photocatalytic applications. The visible-light-driven photodegradation performance of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine-B (Rh-B) dyes, and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) antibiotic over Nb6-BiVO4 hybrid are studied. The best optimized Nb6-BiVO4 thin film shows superior photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of MB, Rh-B dyes, and TC antibiotic with photodegradation rates of 87.3, 92.8, and 64.7 %, respectively, exceptionally higher than that of pristine BiVO4. Furthermore, the mineralization study of Nb6-BiVO4 thin film is conducted using chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis. The optimized Nb6-BiVO4 thin film shows superior percentage COD removal of 83.33, 85.42, and 61.36 % for MB, Rh-B dyes and TC antibiotic, respectively. The present results highlight the expediency of hybridization in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of pristine BiVO4 by minimizing its charge recombination rate and improving chemical stability.

N-doped titania nanoparticles containing Mo6 bromide and iodide clusters: Activity in photodegradation of rhodamine B and tetracycline

Contamination of water sources is a major environmental problem with far-reaching consequences for humanity. Organic substances are among the most widespread and persistent pollutants. Advanced oxidation processes, especially photocatalysis, have been considered as one of the most promising technologies for organic pollution control. In this study, hybrid photocatalysts based on N-doped TiO2, which exhibits activity in the visible region of the spectrum, and different content of octahedral Mo6 bromide and iodide cluster complexes were synthesized to achieve the highest efficiency of the formed S-scheme photocatalytic system under white light irradiation. According to the data obtained, the resulting materials are nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼10 nm exhibiting absorption up to ∼550 nm. Photocatalytic studies were performed using model organic molecules – the more colored rhodamine B (RhB) and the less colored antibiotic tetracycline (TET). The most active samples showed high efficiencies against both pollutants with keff ∼0.3–0.4 and 0.4–0.5 min−1, respectively, while the activity of iodide complexes was ∼1.3 times higher than that of bromide complexes. The stability of the catalysts is preserved for up to 5 cycles of TET photodegradation.

Enhanced solar-powered H2 production from water splitting and sustainable wastewater treatment using interface-engineered ZnIn2S4/TiO2/Ti3C2 S-scheme heterocatalyst

Developing efficient photocatalysts that can degrade persistent antibiotics in water bodies and generate clean H2 through water splitting is crucial for environmental and energy sustainability. This study introduces an advanced hierarchical ZnIn2S4/TiO2/Ti3C2 (ZIS/TO/TC) heterocatalyst for the efficient removal of amoxicillin (AXC) from wastewater and the production of H2 through water reduction process under simulated solar illumination. The ZIS/TO/TC hybrids were fabricated via an in situ hydrothermal process, resulting in a hierarchical 3D structure that capitalizes on the complementary properties of each component. The design of the S-scheme heterojunction significantly enhances charge separation and transfer efficiency, offering improvements over traditional type-II or Z-scheme mechanisms. Notably, the optimized ZIS10/TO/TC hybrid catalyst demonstrated remarkable activity, achieving 100 % AXC degradation and excellent mineralization within 90 min, along with an H2 production rate of 4104 μmol h−1 g−1, significantly outperforming the individual components and exceeding previously reported efficiencies. The outstanding performance of the ZIS10/TO/TC hybrid is attributed to its enhanced light absorption properties, synergistic interactions among the ZIS, TO, and TC MXene, and the efficient S-scheme charge transfer mechanism, which facilitates effective charge separation and transfer while preserving the strong reducing and oxidizing capabilities of the components. Additionally, the ZIS10/TO/TC hybrid exhibited excellent stability over multiple photocatalytic tests, emphasizing its potential for practical applications. Therefore, this research demonstrates an advanced and highly efficient hybrid photocatalyst that offers a promising and sustainable solution for both integrated water treatment and renewable energy generation.

Biphase TiO2\\Zn-tetracarboxy-phthalocyanine twin S-scheme heterojunction nanowires with efficient charge transfer and CO2 photocatalytic conversion

Constructing heterojunction photocatalysts with proper charge transfer channels has been confirmed to be a promising strategy for CO2 photoreduction into chemical fuels. However, promoting photoinduced charge separation in traditional heterojunction catalysts still remains a big obstacle for practical applications. In this work, the TiO2(B)-Anatase\\ZnTcPc twin S-scheme heterojunctions are designed and constructed by loading Zn (II) tetracarboxy phthalocyanine (ZnTcPc) on the prepared TiO2(B)-Anatase biphase TiO2 nanowires by self-assemble strategy. The TiO2(B)-Anatase\\ZnTcPc twin S-scheme heterojunctions effectively promote charge transport across the multi-heterointerfaces and enhance visible light absorption and CO2 adsorption. Thus the optimized hybrid photocatalyst exhibits a remarkable photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance, and the CO yield reaches 237.8μmol g−1h−1. The CO2 photoreduction mechanism and charge transfer properties in the twin S-scheme heterojunction are also investigated and characterized. This research offers a viable approach to enhancing the heterojunction system for excellent photocatalytic performance.

0D/2D S-scheme heterojunction of cadmium selenide and covalent triazine frameworks with enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction and terpene dehydrogenation

The step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction shows the merits of controlling the directional transfer of photogenerated charge carriers and realizing a strong redox potential for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction. In this paper, a zero/two-dimensional (0D/2D) S-scheme heterojunction composed of cadmium selenide quantum dots and covalent triazine frameworks (CdSe/CTF) is designed and fabricated by an electrostatic self-assembly approach. Compared with pristine CTF and CdSe quantum dots, the photocatalytic activities of CdSe/CTF composites for hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction and terpene oxidation are significantly enhanced. The hydrogen evolution rate of CdSe/CTF hybrid photocatalyst immobilized with platinum nanoparticles as cocatalyst reached 19.0 mmol g−1 h−1 under visible-light irradiation, and the apparent quantum yield is 9.8 % at 420 nm. The CdSe/CTF hybrid also exhibited more superior photocatalytic activity in carbon dioxide reduction with a carbon monoxide evolution rate of 1.48 mmol g−1 h−1, and presented higher photocatalytic reactivity in the selective oxidation of α-terpinene to p-cymene. The remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic performance for CdSe/CTF composite is mainly attributed to the facilitated separation and transfer of photoexcited charge carriers of 0D/2D S-scheme heterojunction. This work provides an in-depth insight of utilizing semiconducting polymers as a suitable platform to sustainably transform inexhaustive solar energy to storable chemical energy.

New spacious SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy nanohybrids and their electrochemical and photocatalytic activities.

A novel SrWO4-poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposite was synthesized via chemically oxidative polymerization and considered by using numerous method of the techniques. The resulting SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy nanocomposite demonstrated remarkable electrochemical sensing capabilities for sulfadiazine (SFA). As a modified glassy carbon electrode (SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy/GCE) revealed for superior catalytic activity in the electrochemical oxidation of sulfadiazine, enabling sensitive detection with quantification and detection limits of 1.0936 × 10-9M µA-1 and 2.2104 × 10-9M µA-1, respectively. This technique effectively determined SFA content in real samples. Additionally, SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy demonstrated extraordinary photocatalytic ability, achieving a Methylene Blue (MB) degradation rate of up to 99.1% under halogen light irradiation within 80min. Hybrid photocatalyst has exhibited to strong reusability and photocatalytic stability under frequent light exposure. A contrivance for the photocatalytic deprivation of MB by SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy is proposed. These results underscore the crucial role of SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy in practical environmental remediation analysis. The fluorescence investigations have betrothed to terephthalic acid radical formations of SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy hybrids, which were modulated by different approaches, and its mainly driven for higher illumination aptitudes. Meanwhile, this was more supporting for physio-chemical properties of the phenomenon, at this consequential with significantly well improved to the photocatalytic performances. Because of this, SrWO4/PEDOT-PPy hybrid materials were comprehended to deliver excellent kinetics, and better recyclable activities.

Ultrafast Charge Transfer in a Core-shell CdS@Cu-TCPP-Pt Heterojunction for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Coupled with Selective Benzylamine Oxidation.

Photocatalytic selective oxidation of organic substances coupled with hydrogen production is believed to be one of the most favorable pathways to make full use of photogenerated charge carriers. However, this catalytic reaction is often discouraged due to the rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers in practical applications. In this work, a core-shell CdS@Cu-TCPP-Pt nanorod heterojunction was dexterously designed for boosting the photocatalytic dehydrogenation performance of benzylamine. The transient absorption results revealed that the photogenerated electron-holes could be effectively separated by properly matching the energy levels in CdS@Cu-TCPP. Surprisingly, Pt embedded in Cu-TCPP not only provided abundant hydrogen production active sites but also facilitated ultrafast charge transfer, which endowed CdS@Cu-TCPP-Pt with remarkable photocatalytic performances for the coproductions of N-benzylidenebenzylamine (1 mL) with a conversion of 23.48% and H2 (20.75 mmol g-1 h-1) under visible irradiation, far surpassing those of CdS and Cu-TCPP. Obviously, the present work verifies that designing and fabricating a hybrid photocatalyst with high separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs is also a significant avenue for other high-performance cooperative dual-functional photocatalytic reactions.

Synergistic enhancement of plasmon induced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance on ZnWO4/Ag2O@Ag hybrid-heterostructures

A novel hybrid photocatalyst, ZnWO4/Ag2O@Ag heterostructure was synthesized using a simple one-pot microwave treatment with varying concentrations of silver. Physico-chemical characterization was performed to elucidate the synthesized nanohybrids' properties. The photocatalytic activity of both pristine and heterostructure samples was evaluated through the degradation of cationic MB dye. Among the varied Ag concentrations, the 9 % Ag-doped ZnWO4/Ag2O heterostructure exhibited superior degradation performance, with a degradation rate of 93 % achieved within 45 min, surpassing both other Ag concentrations (89 % (90 min) for 1 % Ag, 87 % (80 min) for 3 % Ag, 90 % (80 min) for 5 % Ag and 91 % (45 min) for 7 % Ag) and pristine ZnWO4 (91 % (90 min)) samples. This catalytic enhancement can be attributed to the formation of heterostructures, plasmon-induced absorption enhancement within specific wavelength ranges, and reduced charge recombination rates. UV–visible studies revealed Ag nanoparticles of various sizes in the heterostructures, supported by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks at 480 and 550 nm, respectively. Trapping experiments indicated that •OH and •O2− were the active species in MB reduction for pure and heterostructure samples. Furthermore, the hybrid heterostructure samples exhibited high stability and reusability in photocatalytic degradation. These findings suggest that the ZnWO4/Ag2O heterostructure photocatalysts are promising candidates for environmental remediation applications.

Bifunctional Au@UiO‐67‐bpy‐Cu Plasmonic Nanostructures for the Solar‐Driven CO2 Reduction to Methanol

AbstractPhotocatalytic CO2 reduction is gaining more interest as a sustainable route to produce methanol, a key starting material in the synthesis of many chemicals and a potential energy carrier. Here, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are used as platforms to integrate plasmonic Au nanospheres and Cu active centers in joint bifunctional hybrid photocatalysts. The methodology followed in obtaining stable Au@UiO‐67‐bpy‐Cu MOFs is based on synthesizing Au@UiO‐67‐bypiridine (bpy) MOFs through a core‐shell procedure, and then modifying them with Cu ions after their coordination with the bpy ligands. This gains the final structure regular coverage of active metal centers that can be excited by the interaction with the plasmonic nanospheres. In the absence of Au, the system demonstrates selectivity toward the formation of methanol under hole scavenger‐free conditions owing to the excitation of the bpy‐Cu complex with visible light. The obtained yield duplicates upon Au nanospheres incorporation as a result of the injection of hot electrons, excited by surface‐mediated intraband processes, to the bpy‐Cu states, thus increasing their CO2 reduction efficiency. Additionally, the catalytic activity remains stable during four consecutive cycles.

Giant Photodegradation Rate Enabled by Vertically Grown 1T/2H MoS2 Catalyst on Top of Silver Nanoparticles

The exaltation of the photodegradation performance of dichalcogenide MoS2 grown on top of silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NPs) is reported on. The fabricated MoS2 nanosheets nucleate vertically from Ag‐NPs seeds, enabling the growth of both metallic and semiconductor phases 1T/2H‐MoS2. Findings reveal remarkable enhancement of the Raman scattering and an exceptional broadband optical absorption attributed to plasmonic effects induced by the presence of both metallic 1T‐MoS2 and Ag‐NPS at 2H‐MoS2 interfaces. To leverage this effect, photodegradation tests are conducted to remove methyl orange pollutant. Notably, results reveal a significant increase in photodegradation efficiency and rate constant, reaching up to 120% and 550% over pristine 2H‐MoS2, respectively. This finding underscores the role of Ag‐NPs and 1T‐MoS2 tandem to unlock the superior photodegradation properties of vertically aligned 2H‐MoS2 toward methyl orange, paving the way for the development of dichalcogenide‐based hybrid photocatalyst for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

Exploring the post-illumination behavior of 1D/2D-NiMoO4/Bi2O2CO3 heterostructure photocatalyst: Insights into the photocatalytic 'memory effect'

Photocatalysts with a "memory" effect can regain their activity after light is removed. We developed a novel NiMoO4/Bi2O2CO3 hybrid photocatalyst through a simple hydrothermal process. This memory effect results from the trapping and release of photogenerated electrons, facilitated by the NiMoO4/Bi2O2CO3 hybrid's compatible band structures and internal electrostatic field, which enhance electron transfer. This photocatalyst effectively removes Rhodamine B (RhB), with a 34 % increase in oxidation after sunlight exposure. The optimized NiMoO4/Bi2O2CO3 composite achieves 84 % photocatalytic degradation of RhB (kapp = 0.0196 min−1) under visible light in 90 min, proving effective for water pollutant removal both during and after light exposure.

Hybrid graphenic and iron oxide photocatalysts for the decomposition of synthetic chemicals

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that resist degradation, posing a significant environmental and health risk. Current methods for removing PFAS from water are often complex and costly. Here we report a simple, cost-effective method to synthesize an iron oxide/graphenic carbon (Fe/g-C) hybrid photocatalyst for PFAS degradation. This photocatalyst efficiently degrades perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a common type of PFAS, achieving over 85% removal within 3 hours under ultraviolet light. The catalyst also maintains high degradation rates over extended periods, demonstrating its stability and potential for long-term use. This innovative approach offers a promising solution for addressing PFAS contamination in water, contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.