Efficient Photocatalytic Removal Research Articles

Efficient photocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin through in-situ growth of g-C3N4 on the surface of clinoptilolite

Natural mineral clinoptilolite has many advantages such as porous structure, stability, low price, environmental protection, and simple modification process, making it an ideal choice for wastewater treatment materials. Loading photocatalysts on the surface of zeolite can effectively exert adsorption degradation synergy in wastewater treatment, improve pollutant removal and mineralization capabilities, and further reduce the harm of wastewater to the environment. In this work, g-C3N4 was in-situ grown on the surface of clinoptilolite using a one-step calcination method for efficient photocatalytic removal of the pollutant ciprofloxacin from water. In-situ growth of g-C3N4 on clinoptilolite enables the catalyst to have strong adsorption capacity for pollutants. At the same time, the large specific surface area and extended photo-generated carrier lifetime make the composite photocatalyst exhibit excellent visible light adsorption degradation ability. The CN/CLI-60 with the best photocatalytic performance showed a removal rate of over 90 % of ciprofloxacin within 60 min, much higher than pure g-C3N4 and clinoptilolite. In addition, the pH value, pollutant concentration, catalyst quantity, and cycle stability have all been investigated to evaluate the practical application potential of this catalyst. This work can provide industrial guidance for the rational design of low-cost and high-efficiency photocatalysts using natural clinoptilolite.

Ternary heterojunction of cross-linked benzene Polymer/Bi2MoO6-Graphene oxide catalysts promote efficient adsorption and photocatalytic removal of oxytetracycline

Antibiotics are refractory degradable organic pollutants that present a significant hazard to water environments. In this work, a ternary composite (KB/BMO-GO) comprising of graphene oxide (GO), Bi2MoO6 (BMO), and a cross-linked benzene polymer (KB) was synthesized and applied to promote the synergistic adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of the refractory pollutant, oxytetracycline (OTC). The inclusion of GO and KB in the composite enhanced the OTC adsorption performance of the catalysts, and the construction of Z-scheme heterojunction promoted the photogenerated charge separation efficiency and broadened the range of light absorption, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic performance. Moreover, we compared the performance of catalysts loaded with different mass ratios of KB (x% KB/BMO-GO). Among them, the 15 % KB/BMO-GO catalyst sample had the best OTC degradation performance. Specifically, 15 % KB/BMO-GO could adsorb 69.7 % of OTC in 30 min, reaching an OTC degradation rate of 93.3 % under visible light irradiation. h+ and 1O2 are the main active substances in the photocatalytic process. In addition, the catalysts are acid-alkali and salt-resistant, as well as good reusability. This study provides a valuable reference for the preparation of highly efficient photocatalysts for synergistic adsorption-photodegradation processes.

A novel annulated dinuclear dizinc phthalocyanine cross-linked h-BN polyamides for efficient photocatalytic levofloxacin removal from real pharmaceutical wastewater

The alignment of the strong visible-light harvesting phthalocyanine and its metal derivatives onto wide-gap semiconductors has been recognized as a bright approach to fabricate highly effective photocatalysts for energy conversation and environmental restoration. However, the practical application of phthalocyanine-sensitized photocatalysts depends on their incorporation mode between phthalocyanine and basic materials. In this work, a novel high-effective dinuclear zinc (II) phthalocyanine-sensitized photocatalyst is fabricated via covalent immobilization of (Bis(82,112,152-tri-(6-oxyl-2-carboxyl)-naphthaoxytribenzo)[g,l,q]-5,10,15,20-tetraazaporphrinno[b,e]benzene) dizinc (II), (ZnTcPc)2 onto the amino functionalized hexagonal boron nitride (–NH2-h-BN) nanosheets for the first time by a facile condensation strategy. The optimized 9%(ZnTcPc)2/h-BN polymer displays remarkably improved photocatalytic activity in levofloxacin degradation from different aqueous solutions with long-term stability under visible-light illumination. Its decomposition rates reach 81.4%, 71.7% and 90.8% in deionized water, tap water and real pharmaceutical wastewater, respectively. It is approximately 7 times than that of bare h-BN nanosheets in deionized water. The detailed experimental data indicate that the critical role of for improving visible-light harvesting and photoinduced electron transfer capability of h-BN acted by the strongly chemical bond constructed between (ZnTcPc)2 and –NH2-h-BN. The improved photocatalytic mechanism for levofloxacin removal over 9%(ZnTcPc)2/h-BN polymer is proposed according to the results of ESR, UV–vis and fluorescence measurements. Therefore, this unique combination approach affords a carefully designed molecular photocatalyst with great potential application in environmental remediation.

Enhanced interfacial effect via acid theory with boosted photocatalytic performance of nitenpyram removal

Surface reaction is a prominent aspect that affects the efficiency of photocatalysis. In this work, acid theory was employed to facilitate the reaction dynamics and enhance the interfacial effect between photocatalysts and target molecules. The photocatalytic removal efficiency of NTP was 66 % for bare CdS in 50 min with apparent rate constants of 0.023 compare to 96 % with apparent rate constants of 0.065 for 5% Ce–CdS. The introduced Ce atom as bifunctional active site reduces the energy barrier of O2 adsorption, strengthens the interfacial effect and accelerates the electrons transfer, which could facilitate surface reaction process and boost the photocatalytic performance.

An organic/inorganic Z-scheme heterojunction Yb-MOF/BiOBr for efficient photocatalytic removal of NO

The advantages of visible light-driven catalysts with good light absorption, fast charge separation rate and high redox capacity are compelling. However, conventional inorganic semiconductor, such as pure BiOBr (BOB), showed a rapid photogenerated carriers recombination rate and low solar energy utilization ability, which limited the practical application of its photocatalytic performance. In this work, a novel organic/inorganic interleaved (Z-scheme) heterojunction Yb-MOF/BiOBr (Yb-MOF/BOB) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. Compared with a single component, the Yb-MOF/BOB heterojunction exhibited significantly enhanced performance in photocatalytic oxidation of NO under visible light. Among them, Yb-MOF/BOB-20 had the best photocatalytic NO removal effect, up to 6424 ppb/g, which was 2.8 times and 4.2 times that of BOB and Yb-MOF, respectively. Photoelectrochemical characterization confirmed that the formation of heterojunctions broadened the absorption sidebands and increased the charge transfer at the interfacial junction of Yb-MOF/BOB. Combined with UPS, ESR and in-situ DRIFTS analysis, possible photocatalytic mechanisms were revealed, in which the formation of the Yb-MOF/BOB heterostructure endowed its high charge mobility and strong redox ability. Therefore, this work provided an effective way for photocatalytic removal of NO, and offered new ideas for developing heterogeneous photocatalysts.

3D-printed Al2O3 framework supported carbon-bridged tri-s-triazine of g-C3N4 for photocatalytic tetracycline oxidation

Powder-like g-C3N4 has been widely used as a photocatalyst but exhibits several drawbacks, including unrecyclable, high charge recombination, and limited light absorption. In this study, carbon-bridged g-C3N4 was successfully prepared and coated on a 3D-printed Al2O3 substrate for the photocatalytic oxidation of tetracycline. Oxamide (OD), malonamide (MD), and succinamide (SD) were used as carbon-containing linkers to react with precursors (melamine and urea) and produce carbon-bridged g-C3N4. Carbon substitution at the bridged N atoms of g-C3N4 improved light absorption, reduced charge recombination, and resulted in high photocatalytic tetracycline removal efficiency. Computational calculations were also employed, and Bader charge analysis supported the charge redistribution and charge transfer of the carbon-bridged g-C3N4 samples. Our results indicated that the degradation of tetracycline followed step-by-step oxidation, deamination, and mineralization to form CO2 and H2O. The 3D-printed Al2O3-supported carbon-bridged g-C3N4 exhibited a high removal rate of 85–90 % and stability for photocatalytic reactions and can be reused for at least 10 cycles. This study demonstrates that the 3D-printed Al2O3-supported carbon-bridged g-C3N4 catalyst is an efficient and effective catalyst support system for photocatalytic reactions.

Synthesis of Novel MOF‐Based BixTiy‐BTC and Bi1Ti3‐BTC/Fe3O4 Photocatalysts and Their Application in the Degradation of UDMH in Wastewater

AbstractRemoval of organic pollutants from wastewater remains a significant challenge. Hence, we report a series of novel MOFs based BixTiy‐BTC photocatalysts synthesized by hydrothermal method for decontamination of 1,1‐Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). The preparation parameters of MOFs were optimized, the best catalytic performance was achieved by adjusting the Bi/Ti molar ratio to 1 : 3, with Bi1Ti3‐BTC a photocurrent density of 0.35 mA/cm2 was reached. The morphology and composition of the materials were analyzed, titanium doping increased the specific surface area. Bi1Ti3‐BTC was loaded with magnetic nano‐Fe3O4, which prevented agglomeration of Bi1Ti3‐BTC and increased the specific surface area, thus improving photocatalytic activity. The band gap structure of the semiconductor materials was estimated by UV‐Vis and XPS valence band spectra, while the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers was investigated by photocurrent density and PL (Photoluminescence) spectrum. The photocatalytic degradation rate of UDMH rapidly decreased after addition of EDTA, indicating that h+ was the main active species in the photocatalytic degradation process. The photocatalytic removal efficiency of UDMH with Bi1Ti3‐BTC/Fe3O4 at a concentration of 0.5 g/L reached 97.58 % after illumination for 180 min, and after 210 min near quantitative degradation was observed.

High performance Co3O4/Sn-ZnO nanocomposite photocatalyst for removal of methylene blue dye

Methylene blue is a toxic, carcinogenic, and non-biodegradable synthetic dye discharged from factories and industries that causes severe harm to human health and environmental pollution. Therefore, in this work, Co3O4/Sn-ZnO nanocomposite was synthesized using a simple sol–gel method for efficient photocatalytic removal of methylene blue dye in an aqueous basic medium. The structural, optical, photoluminescence, morphological, and compositional properties were studied. The XRD result revealed that the crystal size increases as the full width at half maxima (FWHM) decreases when Co3O4 are coupled with Sn-ZnO. From UV-visible diffusive reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopies, a narrowing of the band gap and a reduction of the charge carrier’s recombination rate were observed, respectively. The photocatalytic efficiency and degradation rate constant of 95.1% and 0.03251 min−1 were recorded for methylene blue dye upon the use of optimized catalyst dosage of 60 mg Co3O4/Sn-ZnO nanocomposite catalyst under an irradiation time of 100 min at room temperature for optimized pH value of 9 in an aqueous basic medium.

One-step in-situ construction engineering of ZnO-Zn2SnO4 heterojunction for deeply photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide

The generation of hazardous intermediates during the process of photocatalytic nitric oxide (NO) oxidation presents a tough issue. Herein, a one-step microwave strategy was employed to introduce oxygen vacancies (OVs) into zinc oxide-zinc stannate (ZnO-Zn2SnO4) heterojunction, resulting in an improvement in the photocatalytic efficiency for NO removal. The construction ZnO-Zn2SnO4 heterojunction with the OVs (ZSO-3) owns a significant contribution towards highly efficient electron transfer efficiency (99.7%), which renders ZSO-3 to exert a deep oxidation of NO-to-nitrate (NO3−) rather than NO-to-nitrite (NO2−) or NO-to-nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Based on the solid supports of experimental and simulated calculations, it can be found that OVs play an irreplaceable role in activating small molecules such as NO and O2. Moreover, the enhanced adsorption capacity of small molecules, which guarantees the high yield of active radical due to the formation of S-scheme heterojunction. This work illuminates a novel viewpoint on one-step in-situ route to prepare Zn2SnO4-based heterojunction photocatalyst with deep oxidation ability of NO-to-NO3−.

SiO2/WO3/ZnO based self-cleaning coatings for solar cells

The accumulation of pollution and any kinds of contamination on the glass cover of the solar cell affects the efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) systems. The contamination on the glass cover can absorb and reflect a certain part of the sunlight irradiation, which can decrease the intensity of the light coming in through the glass cover. With the study, it was planned to develop self-cleaning coatings for the PV systems. It was aimed to prevent or reduce the contamination-induced efficiency loss of the existing PV systems. In the scope of the project, SiO2/WO3 and SiO2/WO3/ZnO composites were coated from their solutions on the glass substrates using a dip-coating technique. WO3 was selected as a photocatalyst semiconductor. Under the UV light irradiation, WO3 could absorb the photons of the UV light, generating the photoinduced charge carriers. The photoexcited charge carriers provide both the photoinduced hydrophilicity on the surface of the coating and the photocatalytic degradation of the organic contaminants accumulated on the surface of the coating, which allows water droplets to spread and flow on the surface of the cover glass to remove the contaminations. However, the recombination rate of the photoexcited charge carriers on the WO3 film was high. In order to suppress the recombination of the photoinduced charge carriers, WO3 was coupled with SiO2 and ZnO. Both of these semiconductors improved the photocatalytic activity of the WO3 film. Although SiO2 has superior features in terms of the light transmission, it was not very effective under UV light as a photocatalyst alone. The widely preferred photocatalyst ZnO was added into the composite film structure to enhance the photocatalytic activity. The self-cleaning mechanism of the film coatings on a solar cell was investigated through the photocatalytic dye removal efficiency on the as-prepared film samples. There was a slight decrease in the light transparency and the solar cell efficiency because of the WO3 content of the composite film. On the other hand, coupling the SiO2/WO3 film with ZnO enhanced the photocatalytic activity, and it suppressed the reduction effect of the WO3 phase on both the light transparency and the solar cell efficiency. The photocatalytic dye removal efficiency was increased to over 90% after 240 min of UVA light irradiation. In addition, the solar cell coated with the SiO2/WO3/ZnO film provided almost the same solar cell efficiency as the uncoated solar cell. The water contact angle measurement also exhibited the photocatalytic degradation of the model contamination on the glass cover of the solar cell under the UVA light irradiation.Graphical

Novel CuO–SiO2 nanocomposites: synthesis, kinetics, recyclability, high stability and photocatalytic efficiency for Rose Bengal dye removal

Novel CuO–SiO2 nanocomposites: synthesis, kinetics, recyclability, high stability and photocatalytic efficiency for Rose Bengal dye removal

A H2O2 Oxidation Approach to Ti3C2/TiO2 for Efficient Photocatalytic Removal of Distinct Organic Pollutants in Water.

To develop versatile photocatalysts for efficient degradation of distinct organic pollutants in water is a continuous pursuit in environment remediation. Herein, we directly oxidize Ti3C2 MXene with hydrogen peroxide to produce C-doped anatase TiO2 nanowires with aggregates maintaining a layered architecture of the MXene. The Ti3C2 MXene provides a titanium source for TiO2, a carbon source for in situ C-doping, and templates for nanowire aggregates. Under UV light illumination, the optimized Ti3C2/TiO2 exhibits a reaction rate constant 1.5 times that of the benchmark P25 TiO2 nanoparticles, toward photocatalytic degradations of trace phenol in water. The mechanism study suggests that photogenerated holes play key roles on the phenol degradation, either directly oxidizing phenol molecules or in an indirect way through oxidizing first the surface hydroxyl groups. The unreacted Ti3C2 MXene, although with trace amounts, is supposed to facilitate electron transfer, which inhibits charge recombination. The unique nanostructure of layered aggregates of nanowires, abundant surface oxygen vacancies arising from the carbon doping, and probably the Ti3C2/TiO2 heterojunction guarantee the high photocatalytic efficiency toward removals of organic pollutants in water. The photocatalyst also exhibits an activity superior to, or at least comparable to, the benchmark P25 TiO2 toward photodegradations for typical persistent organic pollutants of phenol, dye molecule of rhodamine B, antibiotic of tetracycline, pharmaceutical wastewater of ofloxacin, and pesticide of N,N-dimethylformamide, when evaluated in total organic carbon removal.

Highly efficient photocatalytic removal of antineoplastic drug and selective fluorescence detection of organophosphate pesticide employing NiFe2O4 modified 2D g-C3N4 heterostructures

With the goal to detect, quantify and remove virulent toxins for water decontamination, a dual functional platform based on nickel ferrite (NF) modified magnetically retrievable 2D metal free g-Carbon Nitride (CN), with varied ratios of NF, was fabricated via simple sonication-calcination route. The % degradation of antineoplastic drug, doxorubicin (DXR) were obtained to be 69.8 %, 49.1 %, 71.1 %, 85.4 %, 94.2 %, 88.5 % and 81.7 % for CN, NF, 2-CNNF, 4-CNNF, 6-CNNF, 8-CNNF and 10-CNNF, respectively with corresponding rate constant values of 0.069, 0.047, 0.075, 0.100, 0.148, 0.113 and 0.078 min−1. CNNF heterostructure displayed outstanding photocatalytic performance with 6-CNNF heterostructure displaying highest rate kinetics with rate constant value 2.2 and 3.2 times greater than pure CN and NF, respectively. The charge transfer occurring in CNNF heterostructure followed direct Z-scheme mechanistic pathway, which proffers two advantages of high photoinduced charge carriers separation and optimized redox capacity of binary system. UV–vis DRS, XPS and PL results supported the proposed mechanism. Radical scavenging experiments further validated the role of •O2−, h+ and HO• radicals in degrading target pollutant. Moreover, the fabricated material was efficiently employed as selective and sensitive sensor for fluorescence detection of pesticide, chlorpyrifos (CPF) and DXR with respective LOD values of 4.1 µM in the range of 5 µM to 100 µM and 1.6 µM in the range of 0.1 µM to 40 µM. Real world applicability was established by monitoring CPF and DXR in real water samples. This study presents the designing of multi-functional platform, exhibiting excellent optical as well as physical characteristics, for monitoring and obliteration of noxious pollutants in aqueous environment.

Biomass-Derived Carbon Quantum Dots Chemical Bonding with Sn-Doped Bi2O2CO3 Endowed Fast Carriers' Dynamics and Stabilized Oxygen Vacancies for Efficient Decontamination of Combined Pollutants.

Surface defects on photocatalysts could promote carrier separation and generate unsaturated sites for chemisorption and reactant activation. Nevertheless, the inactivation of oxygen vacancies (OVs) would deteriorate catalytic activity and limit the durability of defective materials. Herein, bagasse-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are loaded on the Sn-doped Bi2O2CO3 (BOC) via hydrothermal procedure to create Bi─O─C chemical bonding at the interface, which not only provides efficient atomic-level interfacial electron channels for accelerating carriers transfer, but also enhances durability. The optimized Sn-BOC/CQDs-2 achieves the highest photocatalytic removal efficiencies for levofloxacin (LEV) (88.7%) and Cr (VI) (99.3%). The elimination efficiency for LEV and Cr (VI) from the Sn-BOC/CQDs-2 is maintained at 55.1% and 77.0% while the Sn-BOC is completely deactivated after four cycle tests. Furthermore, the key role of CQDs in stabilization of OVs is to replace OVs as the active center of H2O and O2 adsorption and activation, thereby preventing reactant molecules from occupying OVs. Based on theoretical calculations of the Fukui index and intermediates identification, three possible degradation pathways of LEV are inferred. This work provides new insight into improving the stability of defective photocatalysts.

Stable Core‐Shell UiO‐66‐NH2@Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks Composite as a Favorable Photocatalyst for Tetracycline Degradation

AbstractMetal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials for photocatalytic applications due to their unique properties. Core‐shell MOFs have recently emerged as a particularly attractive subclass of MOFs, offering enhanced light absorption, charge separation capabilities, and stability. In this study, we synthesized UiO‐66‐NH2@ZIF‐67 and UiO‐66‐NH2@ZIF‐8 core‐shell structures using UiO‐66‐NH2, ZIF‐67, and ZIF‐8. We found that UiO‐66‐NH2@ZIF‐67 exhibited a photocatalytic tetracycline (TC) degradation rate that was five times higher than that of pure UiO‐66‐NH2 under visible light. Furthermore, UiO‐66‐NH2@ZIF‐67 demonstrated superior stability and recyclability, maintaining its efficiency for five cycles. The photocatalytic removal efficiency of TC over UiO‐66‐NH2@ZIF‐67 under visible light reached 97 % in just 60 minutes. In this study, the two MOFs with a high surface area, one with a large bandgap and one with the ability to absorb visible light were combined to construct the desire core‐shell structure. Our results offer a novel and convenient strategy for synthesizing highly effective and stable core‐shell MOF‐on‐MOF photocatalysts for photodegradation and TC degradation.

Efficient degradation of multi-pollutants by Zr-BiOCl/Ti3C2/Bi2Sn2O7 photocatalysts based on the synergistic impact of oxygen vacancies and Z-type heterojunction

Designing photocatalysts that efficiently degrade organic pollution in water is challenging. In this study, Zr-BiOCl/Ti3C2/Bi2Sn2O7 (ZBTB) photocatalysts based on the synergistic interaction of Z-type heterojunction and oxygen vacancies (OVs) were synthesized for the first time using a hydrothermal technique. O2 chemical adsorption is facilitated by OVs, and charge transfer may be further enhanced by Ti3C2. Under visible light irradiation, ZBTB can degrade tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) by 95.5 % in 100 min, levofloxacin by 95.8 % in 100 min, and Rhodamine B by 100 % in 20 min. Finally, possible photocatalytic mechanisms were investigated experimentally and by theoretical calculations. The intermediates and possible degradation pathways were also analyzed. These results provide a rational design approach for efficient heterojunction photocatalytic removal of difficult-to-degrade pollutants from wastewater.

Facile synthesis of platinum/polypyrrole-carbon black/SnS2 nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic removal of gemifloxacin under visible light

Development and designing of effective visible light photocatalysts to overcome the drastrous situation of water pollution requires material with excellent charge transferring skills. In this regard, an efficient ternary nanocomposite photocatalyst comprised of SnS2 nanostructure linked with polypyrrole-doped carbon black (PPC) and platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) was successfully fabricated. Effective ternary photocatalyst was synthesized by hydrothermal technique followed by ultra-sonication and photo-reduction methodologies. The XRD measurements confirmed the hexagonal phase of SnS2, and the proper formation of nanocomposite. TEM examination revealed Pt NPs of 5–15 nm in size, dense cocoon like layered structure of PPC along with irregular pellets of SnS2. Acquired diffuse reflectance data confirmed the visible light band gap of synthesized nanomaterials. The Pt@PPC/SnS2 photocatalyst showed excellent destructive potential under visible light with 92.40 % removal of antibiotic gemifloxacin (GFX) in 30 minutes, almost 347 % more efficient than bare SnS2, and was found to be ultrafast for the removal of methylene blue (MB) with total elimination of dye just in 10 minutes. The photoluminescence and photocurrent transient analysis revealed enhanced light absorption capability and increased photo-induced carrier transfer with effective separation behavior, together with increased effective surface area of the ternary photocatalyst as evidenced by the BET surface area measurement.

Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activities of green sol-gel ZnO nanoparticles using Abelmoschus esculentus and Salvia officinalis: A comparative study versus co-precipitation-synthesized nanoparticles

BackgroundThe development of green chemistry methods involving plant-based nanoparticle synthesis presents an affordable and eco-friendly approach for wastewater treatment and color removal. This study aimed to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles using the sol-gel method with Salvia officinalis and Abelmoschus esculentus plants, examining their photocatalytic efficiency for organic dye removal. MethodsTo compare the properties of ZnO nanoparticles, another type of ZnO-NPs was synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was performed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta potential (ZP), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. ResultsBased on XRD results, the average crystalline size of nanoparticles was calculated using the Debye-Scherer equation for synthesized nanoparticles using the S. officinalis at 22.99 nm and for the A. esculentus at 29.79 nm, and for the co-precipitation method at 18.83 nm. The FE-SEM images showed spherical ZnO nanoparticles. Photocatalytic properties of ZnO-NPs were investigated for remove of methylene blue organic dye in the presence of UV light. The pH 10 was identified as the best pH, which had the highest percentage of color degradation. All three types of nanoparticles were tested by up to 360 min to optimize the dyeing time. For A. esculentus, the highest percentage of color removal occurred in the first 90 min (41.0 %), for S. officinalis nanoparticles between 75 and 90 min (86.9 %), and for chemically synthesized nanoparticles between 30 and 45 min (100 %). ConclusionsIn conclusion, the best MB dye degradation capacity belonged to co-precipitation ZnO nanoparticles followed by S. officinalis and A. esculentus nanoparticles.

The temperature-controlled optimization of g-C3N4 structure significantly enhances the efficiency of photothermal catalytic NO removal

The efficiency of photocatalytic NO removal is often constrained by catalyst lifespan and secondary contamination from reaction products.

Investigation of α-Fe2O3 catalyst structure for efficient photocatalytic fenton oxidation removal of antibiotics: preparation, performance, and mechanism.

Currently, the surface structure modification of photocatalysts is one of the effective means of enhancing their photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, it is critically important to gain a deeper understanding of how the surface of α-Fe2O3 photocatalysts influences catalytic activity at the nanoscale. In this work, α-Fe2O3 catalysts were prepared using the solvothermal method, and four distinct morphologies were investigated: hexagonal bipyramid (THB), cube (CB), hexagonal plate (HS), and spherical (RC). The results indicate that the hexagonal bipyramid (THB) exhibits the highest degradation activity towards tetracycline (TC), with a reaction rate constant of k = 0.0969 min-1. The apparent reaction rate constants for the cube (CB), hexagonal plate (HS), and spherical (RC) morphologies are 0.0824, 0.0726, and 0.0585 min-1, respectively. In addition, it has been observed that the enhancement of photocatalytic activity is closely related to the increase in surface area, which provides more opportunities for interactions between Fe2+ and holes. The quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results indicate that the ˙O2, ˙OH and h+ contribute mainly to the degradation of TC in the system. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of catalyst surface alterations and their impact on catalytic performance.