Visible Light-driven Photocatalytic Performance Research Articles

Flower shaped Zn2In2S5/FeIn2S4 as a promising S-Scheme heterojunction photocatalyst for superior ciprofloxacin removal

In recent years, refractory pharmaceutical pollutants have emerged as a major environmental and public health concern. An interesting strategy that has recently emerged is photocatalysis, which involves directly breaking down these environmental pollutants using visible light. However, the rapid combining of the photogenerated charges is a major issue with this method, leading to instability and low efficiency. This work presents the development of a Zn2In2S5/FeIn2S4 (ZIS-/FIS) heterojunction photocatalyst, which is an effective photocatalyst for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) when exposed to visible light. When compared to pure ZIS and FIS, the resultant ZIS-/FIS S-type heterojunction shows significantly better visible light-driven photocatalytic performance. Specifically, 20ZIS/FIS catalyst exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency for CIP breakdown, reaching 90.03% at 10 mg/L concentration in 120 min. Through scavenging experiments and ESR findings, it has been demonstrated that •O2- and •OH are the primary active species that are involved in the degrading process. The higher adsorption ability, heightened light harvesting, and increased separation rate of carriers that resulted from the synergistic effect of the components are the primary factors that are responsible for the superior removal performance. The results of this work offer a realistic reference for the construction of novel heterojunction photocatalysts for the purpose of maintaining environmental cleanliness.

Integrating BaFe2O4 nanoparticles onto N-doped Bi2WO6 microspheres for eminent visible light-driven photocatalytic performance towards aquaculture contaminants and pathogens

Constructing highly effective visible light-responsive photocatalysts with robust redox capability is of great significance for remediation of environmental contaminants. Herein, a novel Z-scheme 0D/3D BFO/NBWO composite was successfully fabricated via a facile precipitation-hydrothermal approach. The physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of the obtained photocatalysts were affirmed via different characterization techniques. Under visible light irradiation, the 2-BFO/NBWO composite demonstrated the top-flight photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC), which was 10.6, 6.0, 4.2 and 4.6-fold greater than those of BFO, BWO, NBWO and 2-BFO + NBWO, respectively. Such photocatalytic enhancement was primarily attributed to the acceleration of charge separation and migration in Z-scheme heterojunction. Additionally, the 2-BFO/NBWO composite displayed good versatility to pH variation in the solution, resistance to coexisting anions and humic acid as well as satisfactory reusability after five-cycle experiments. More importantly, real aquaculture effluent-containing TC, bisphenol A (BPA), malachite green (MG) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) were also successfully treated. The toxicity findings also proved that the treated aquaculture effluent appeared to have no significant noxious effect on Danio rerio after 2-BFO/NBWO photocatalysis. In addition to the examination of organic contaminants degradation, the prepared 2-BFO/NBWO composite was also effectively used to eradicate Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus). The hydroxyl radicals were found to make predominant contributions to the photocatalytic reactions. This work gives a new avenue for fabricating Z-scheme composite photocatalysts with effective interfacial charge migration to degrade various organics and to eradicate pathogens from effluents.

A flower-like heterojunction for highly photocatalytic treating oxytetracycline based on chrome-based metal-organic frameworks decorated BiOCl nanosheet

The widespread use of antibiotics poses significant risks to both human health and the environment. Among various approaches, photocatalysis has emerged as a promising method for addressing the issue of antibiotic residues. BiOCl, a semiconductor photocatalyst, has attracted attention due to its distinctive structure. However, the limited light utilization efficiency of its ultraviolet light responsiveness remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a heterojunction by decorating BiOCl with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) MIL-100(Cr), referred to MIL-100(Cr)/BiOCl (MB), to efficiently treat the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) under visible light irradiation. Various analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, were used to verify the formation of the MB heterojunction. The interaction between MIL-100(Cr) and BiOCl in the MB heterojunction substantially enhances the responsiveness to visible light, increases the specific surface area, facilitates the separation and transfer of charged carriers, and ultimately results in a significant enhancement in visible light-driven photocatalytic performance for OTC degradation. This study explores the application of narrow/wide band gap nanomaterials-based nanocomposites in environmental remediation by constructing heterojunctions.

Boosting photocatalytic CO2 reduction efficiency by graphene nanoflakes (GNF) decorated ZIF-67 under visible light irradiation

The design and development of sustainable and cost-effective photocatalysts necessitate significant effort for improved CO2 reduction efficiency. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with high surface area, are gaining popularity in photocatalysis, but their high electron-hole (e-, h+) recombination and low light harvesting capacity limit their utility. Graphene nanoflake (GNF) is a novel, low-cost carbon nanomaterial which has received attention owing to its non-toxicity, high aqueous solubility, unique photoluminescence properties, and excellent photostability. In this work, graphene nanoflake (GNF) decorated zeolitic imidazole framework ZIF-67 (GNF(X)/ZIF-67) has been synthesized for improving visible light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. The composite GNF6/ZIF-67 decorated with 6% GNF nanoflake achieves the highest methanol generation of 50.93 µmolg−1 and the highest ethanol generation of 33.97 µmolg−1 after 8 h of visible light irradiation, compared to pure ZIF-67 which is 1.93 and 1.59 times respectively. The effect of GNF on boosting the visible-light photocatalytic activity of ZIF-67 was explored based on the UV-Vis DRS spectra, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), transient photocurrent response, and photoluminescence (PL) experiment. This work may discover a new way to synthesize photocatalysts for applying CO2 photoreduction.

Synthesis and characterization of enhanced visible light-driven C-doped ZnO-2D GO/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst

Well-designed 2D graphene oxide-modified polymeric graphitic carbon nitride composite nanosheets (GO/g-C3N4) as desirable sensitizers and catalytic substrates for optimising the visible light-driven photocatalytic performance of ZnO-based photocatalysts have been investigated. Herein, 2D GO/g-C3N4 composite nanosheets are first developed by ultrasonic and hydrothermal methods, and then coupled with ZnO nanoparticles to prepare a series of ternary GO/g-C3N4-ZnO heterojunction composites with vary GO loading concentrations. Characterization of the photocatalysts was carried out by SEM, TEM, XPS, XRD, DRS, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy; evaluation of the visible light photocatalytic activity was performed by degrading an aqueous methylene blue (MB) solution. XPS studies showed that the formation of a ZnC bond in 15 % GO/g-C3N4-ZnO is due to the replacement of oxygen by carbon, indicating the construction of a hybrid heterojunction composed of C-doped ZnO and visible light sensitive GO/g-C3N4 composite nanosheets. The photodegradation performance of 15 % GO/g-C3N4-ZnO is 5.3, 2.9, and 2.2 times higher than that of pure ZnO, g-C3N4, and g-C3N4-ZnO, respectively. Due to the increase of GO loading in GO/g-C3N4 composite nanosheets, some characteristics of efficient visible light photocatalysis, such as a wider light absorption range, fluorescence quenching in the PL spectrum, excellent optical response in photocurrent measurement, and good stability，were confirmed and can be attributed to the electronic interaction between heterostructures and the effective transfer of photogenerated electrons in these ternary nanocomposites. This work may provide a new promising pathway for the construction of easily prepared 2D GO/g-C3N4 hybrid-modified nanocomposites, which is a hopeful material for wastewater control.

A novel Ppy/ZnO@Co ternary nanocomposite with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

BackgroundDischarging textile industries' wastewater into the surrounding environment without treatment harms mammals and the aquatic environment. Photocatalysts, such as semiconductor nanoparticles, use a renewable light energy source to decompose various dangerous pollutants in wastewater. One of the most often utilized semiconductors is nanostructured ZnO and its photocatalytic activity is restricted to the UV region. Recently, utilizing ternary nanocomposite formed with the combination of the conductive polymer and nanoparticles has shown promising performance for improving the visible light absorption capacity. MethodsA novel Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO@Co) doped polypyrrole ternary nanocomposite (Ppy/ZnO@Co) was synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization for degradation cationic rhodamine B (RdB) and anionic direct yellow 50 (DY) dyes under visible light illumination. Significant findingsThe Ppy/ZnO@Co completely degraded RdB and DY dyes after 45 and 70 min, respectively, with 6.2 times increased photocatalytic efficiency matched to ZnO@Co due to the minimum recombination rate of photogenerated charges and efficient charge transmission on the surface of the ternary photocatalyst. The Ppy/ZnO@Co shows excellent photocatalytic recycling performance by maintaining the photocatalytic performance for up to five cycles with over 97% removal efficiency, suggesting that the Ppy/ZnO@Co is a promising visible-light-incentive photocatalyst candidate for degrading dyes in the textile industries' wastewater.

Facile synthesis of N-doped biphasic TiO2 nanoparticles with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

Undoped and N-doped TiO2 anatase/brookite mixed-phase nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile sol-gel method using urea as a nitrogen source. Surprisingly, nitrogen played a dual role in doping and controlling the anatase and brookite phases in the nanoparticles. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). PXRD results revealed that TiO2 nanoparticles consisted of a mixture of anatase and brookite crystalline phases where the anatase phase increased with increasing urea concentration (1–60 wt. %), and the pure anatase phase was found at a urea concentration of ≥15 wt. %. N-doped anatase/brookite mixed-phase (brookite ̴ 20 wt. %) nanoparticles exhibited superior photocatalytic activity over others in degrading rhodamine-B (RhB) under simulated visible light irradiation, and its photocatalytic performance was comparable to that of Degussa P25. The enhanced photodegradation activity was credited to biphasic composition, narrower bandgap energy, and stronger light absorption in the visible region.

Defect engineering in novel broad-band gap hexaaluminate MAl12O19 (M=Ca, sr, Ba)-Based photocatalysts Boosts Near ultraviolet and visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

The M(M = Ca, Sr, Ba)Al12O19, MAl12O19:Mn, and MAl12O19:Mn:Ce photocatalysts have been synthesized successfully through a polyacrylamide gel method. The Mn ion prefer to occupy the position of Al ion in SrAl12O19, while there is no evidence revealing that the Mn ion occupies the Al ion position in (Ca, Ba)Al12O19. The one-pot polyacrylamide gel method utilizes the fast nucleation, growth, and heterostructure construction of the MAl12O19 to deliberately immobilize the desired fine spherical particles of Mn3O4 or Mn3O4 and CeO2 on the surface of MAl12O19 nanosheets. All the MAl12O19:Mn:Ce photocatalysts exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activities for the degradation of methylene blue than that of M(M = Ca, Sr, Ba)Al12O19 and MAl12O19:Mn photocatalysts under near ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. The improved photocatalytic activity of n-p-n type double p-n heterojunction MAl12O19:Mn:Ce photocatalysts can be attributed to the synergistic effect among the M(M = Ca, Sr, Ba)Al12O19, CeO2, and Mn3O4, which not only improves the visible light response ability and enhances the migration and separation efficiency of charge carriers but also retains the strong the oxidation or reduction capacity of charge carriers. This work may provide a n-p-n type double p-n heterojunction photocatalytic system into the development and design high efficient heterojunction photocatalysts for the degradation of organic dyes and environmental protection.

Plasmonic Ag nanoparticles decorated g-C3N4 for enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation and H2 production

The plasmonic Ag nanoparticles (NPs) loaded g-C3N4 photocatalysts (Ag/C3N4) were successfully prepared via a conventional procedure. The fully characterized Ag/C3N4 photocatalysts exhibited excellent stability and greatly enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance both in the degradation of methyl orange (MO) and H2 evolution from water splitting. The 1.0 wt% Ag/C3N4 allowed the highest reaction rate of 0.0294 min−1 to be obtained in the MO degradation, which is about 2.3 times higher than the reaction rate of g-C3N4 alone of 0.0129 min−1. Furthermore, the optimum H2 evolution and the k value attained 20 µmol and 1.573 h−1, respectively, after 12 h of visible light irradiation. The surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag NPs and the charge transfer between the two components of the photocatalyst, strongly promote generation of photoinduced charge carriers while suppressing their recombination. These factors are held responsible for the enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance of Ag/C3N4. Our methodology will provide guidance for the design and synthesis of plasmon-enhanced visible light photocatalysts derived from Ag NPs and g-C3N4 and their applications in environmental remediation and green energy development.

Facile synthesis of δ-Bi2O3 particles/rod-like Bi4O7 composite with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

Facile synthesis of δ-Bi2O3 particles/rod-like Bi4O7 composite with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

PREPARATION AND PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF NOVEL PPy/GO/BiVO4 NANOCOMPOSITES

A new type of poly pyrrole/graphene oxide/bismuth vanadate (PPy/GO/BiVO4) ternary nanocomposite with excellent visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation performance was prepared by the traditional hydrothermal method. The photocatalyst samples were characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). Under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of the samples in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), which was used to simulate organic dye pollutants in the real natural environment, was detected. The experimental results demonstrated that the photocatalytic degradation performance of PPy/GO/BiVO4 was reinforced after loading GO and PPy. Among all the photocatalyst samples with different PPy content, the PPy/GO/BiVO4 nanocomposite containing 5% PPy showed the highest photocatalytic activity. The stability test suggested that the nanocomposite remained stable even after four cycles of photocatalytic degradation of RhB. As a novel type of visible light-driven photocatalyst, PPy/GO/BiVO4 can be utilized to degrade pollutants in waste water.

Nickel ferrite/zinc oxide nanocomposite: Investigating the photocatalytic and antibacterial properties

A facile strategy was used for the synthesis of nickel ferrite/zinc oxide (NiFe2O4/ZnO) nanocomposite via an ultra-sonication method and observed its recyclability and photostability with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance. The photo degradation activities of as-synthesized photocatalysts were investigated using various dyes including methylene blue, crystal violet and methyl orange under solar light irradiation. Prepared material degrades 49.2% methyl orange, 44.4% methyl blue and 41.3% crystal violet in 40 min. Further, the synergistic effect of nickel ferrite andzinc oxidecan reduce the probability of recombination of charge carrier and boost the charge separation which leads to remarkable photocatalytic performance. Magnetic properties of nickel ferrite reduces the agglomeration of material and increases the recyclability. The NiFe2O4/ZnO nanocomposites also exhibited better antibacterial activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which shows that they can be used for both environmental and biological applications.

Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance of CdSe nanorods

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) semiconductor nanorods are prepared in hydrothermal process using hydrazine hydrate (N2H4.H2O) and ammonia (NH3.H2O) as reducing agents. The reaction time is increased to 7 h and the amount of hydrazine hydrate used is also increased to 15 mL which have resulted in diminished stacking faults in the CdSe nanorods prepared. The crystal structure, morphological variations, and size of the prepared CdSe nanorods are examined by XRD analysis. The crystalline size of the CdSe nanorods is 20–30 nm in diameter. HRTEM images reveal the formation of high order CdSe nanorods of the length about 25–40 nm. The bandgap in the CdSe nanoparticles is determined to be 2.17 eV. The peak at 595 nm in photoluminescence (PL) spectrum indicates oxygen vacancy defects in the prepared CdSe sample. The variation of dielectric properties with respect to temperature and frequency of pelletized CdSe is studied. High photocatalytic efficiency (98%) of catalyst/H2O2 is also achieved for decomposition of Rhodamine-B dye.

Fabrication of dandelion clock-inspired preparation of core-shell TiO2@MoS2 composites for unprecedented high visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

Phase junction construction and surface modification are two practical engineering strategies toward efficient photocatalysis. In the present work, core-shell TiO2@MoS2 heterojunction composites were directly constructed via one-step hydrothermal method. The prepared catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, and N2 adsorption–desorption studies to know the structural, morphological, and textural properties. The optical absorption and prevention of electron–hole recombination process was studied by UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and photoluminescence analysis. The photocatalytic degradation experiment was carried out using methyl orange (MO) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) for all the catalysts under visible light irradiation. The results reveal that MoS2@TiO2 heterojunction catalyst shows excellent photocatalytic activity toward 4-NP such as high removal efficiency (96%), high apparent constant (0.0242 min−1), and long-term stability. The enhancement in the photodegradation is due to dandelion clock heterostructures of MoS2@TiO2 possess high specific surface area (103.5 m2/g), specific pores (11.8 nm). The photoelectrochemical results suggest that MoS2@TiO2 catalyst exhibits the high photoresponse than compared with pure MoS2 and TiO2 catalysts, respectively.

Novel Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposite with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

ABSTRACT Chemical precipitation method was employed to synthesize the Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposites. The influence of incorporated Fe ions on the properties of nanocomposites was examined by various spectroscopic characterisations. XRD patterns of as-prepared sample exhibited a hexagonal crystal phase for both ZnO and CdS. Non-uniformly distributed spherical-shaped morphologies were observed from the SEM and TEM analyses. EPR spectrum displayed a sharp signal at g = 2.02. Photoluminescence spectrum of the prepared sample exhibited emission peaks in ultraviolet and visible regions. In the magnetic study, a significant enhancement was observed in the ferromagnetism by adding Fe impurities to the ZnO-CdS nanocomposite at room temperature. The synthesised Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposites exhibited a superior catalytic performance than pure ZnO and ZnO-CdS nanocomposites.

Preparation of novel Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions with significantly enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance originated from Z-scheme separation of photogenerated charge pairs

In this paper, Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions were successfully prepared via a facile two-step method. The formation of Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions can be confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The separation properties of photogenerated carriers were studied by surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) and electrochemical technology. The results show that the separation rate of photoinduced carriers of Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions can be dramatically promoted. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was evaluated by abatement of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The results display that the photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions exhibit improved photocatalytic performance for the RhB degradation. Trapping measurements confirm that holes and O2− play a significant role in degradation of RhB, which can be attributed to the existence of Ag0 in the samples. Based on all the characterization results, a Z-scheme mechanism of photogenerated charge separation and transfer was proposed. Moreover, the enhancement in photocatalytic performance of Ag/AgVO3/BiVO4 heterojunctions is related to the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers.

Construction of H4x K2x Sn2-x S4+x /TiO2 nanocomposites with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance.

In this paper, a new photocatalyst with TiO2 nanospheres decorated on ultrathin layered thiostannate H4xK2xSn2−xS4+x (X = 0.5–0.6, HKTS) nanosheets was successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method combined with the hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate and it was denoted as HKTS/TiO2. By adjusting the content of tetrabutyl titanate, composites with different Sn/Ti molar ratios were prepared. The composites were applied for RhB degradation under visible light irradiation, and the optimum proportion of HKTS/TiO2 was obtained. The results of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that TiO2 was successfully decorated on HKTS nanosheets. The combination of TiO2 and HKTS extended the absorption wavelength of TiO2 from UV to visible light range, and the separation efficiency of photoexcited electron–hole pairs was also enhanced. The photocatalytic degradation rate of RhB over HKTS/TiO2-1.0 was almost 97.9% after 60 min illumination, which was higher than those of HKTS and pure TiO2. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent reusability and stability as the degradation rate of RhB was 95.7% even after three cycles. The photocatalytic mechanism experiment indicated that ·O2− and h+ played a dominant role in the photocatalytic process. All these results indicate that the newly fabricated HKTS/TiO2 composites provide a high-performance photocatalyst for waste water treatment, and the application of thiostannate can be extended to the field of photocatalytic materials.

Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance and stability of Ag3PO4 by simultaneously loading AgCl and Fe(III)

Silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) is widely used in the field of photocatalysis due to its excellent quantum efficiency and high photocatalytic activity. With Ag3PO4 as the precursor, we have prepared a ternary composite of Ag3PO4/AgCl/Fe(III) through an in-situ anion-exchange and impregnation method by using ferric chloride as the sources of chlorine and iron. The characterization results indicated that AgCl and Fe(III) were successfully loaded onto the surface of Ag3PO4 without any changes in its morphology and crystal structure. A significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) was obtained under visible light irradiation (>420 nm). The degradation rate of TC over Ag3PO4/AgCl/Fe(III) (0.458 min−1) was 2.32 times and 2.94 times that of Ag3PO4/AgCl (0.197 min−1) and the pure Ag3PO4 (0.156 min−1), respectively. Furthermore, the stability of the photocatalyst was also improved. On one hand, the presence of AgCl could prevent Ag3PO4 from dissolution due to the smaller solubility of AgCl. On the other hand, the heterostructure and Fe(III) in Ag3PO4/AgCl/Fe(III) could promote the transfer and the separation of photoexcited electrons and holes, thus enhancing the photocatalytic activity. Our investigation might give some new insights for the facile preparation of photocatalysts with high visible light-driven photocatalytic performance.

Bioinspired ZnO-Based Solar Photocatalysts for the Efficient Decontamination of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Hexavalent Chromium in Wastewater

Biomimetic/bioinspired engineering and sulfidation processes are effective strategies for improving the visible light-driven photocatalytic performance of ZnO photocatalysts. A facile electrodeposition process in high oxygen-flux conditions was used to synthesize well-defined fractal micro/nanoferns, consequently increasing the photocatalyst’s light-trapping capability and the accessible active surface. Next, a simple sulfidation process was used to form a thin layer of ZnS, producing ZnO@ZnS core@shell micro/nanoferns, thereby tuning the optoelectronic properties and extending the photoresponse to the visible region. The ZnO@ZnS micro/nanoferns exhibited clear superiority over other ZnO photocatalysts in the photooxidation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and the photoreduction of Cr(VI). Their excellent photocatalytic performance allowed the photodegradation under UV-filtered sunlight of nearly 97% of methylene blue after 60 min; the mineralization of >98% of a mixture of methylene blue, 4-nitrophenol, and rhodamine-B after 210 min; and the removal of nearly 65% of Cr(VI) after 180 min. In addition, the ZnO@ZnS micro/nanoferns demonstrated a good ability to decontaminate an inorganic-organic bipollutant system, with promising potential to leverage synergistic effects. Finally, these micro/nanoferns presented great recyclability and reusability for both photooxidation and photoremediation processes. These findings support that sulfidation and biomimetic engineering can be a superior route for designing efficient sunlight-driven ZnO-photocatalysts for water decontamination.

All-Solid Z-Scheme Bi-BiOCl/AgCl Heterojunction Microspheres for Improved Electron-Hole Separation and Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Performance.

All-solid Z-scheme Bi-BiOCl/AgCl heterojunction microspheres are successfully prepared via hydrothermal, NaBH4 reduction and chemical deposition strategy. They are tested by various characterization methods, and they show that metal Bi is present after reduction and AgCl nanoparticles are successfully compounded onto BiOCl. Bi plays the role of a bridge connecting the two semiconductors of BiOCl and AgCl. All-solid Z-scheme heterojunction structures are formed successfully. The narrow band gap of the Z-scheme Bi-BiOCl/AgCl heterojunction microspheres is about 2.17 eV, which can expand the optical response range. Moreover, the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate still reaches 198.2 μmol h-1 g-1, extends the electron transport life, inhibits the recombination of electron hole pairs, and improves the photocatalytic activity.