Construction of floatable flower-like plasmonic Bi/BiOCl-loaded hollow kapok fiber photocatalyst for efficient degradation of RhB and antibiotics

Engineering Ag-Modified BiOCl as an Efficient and Effective Catalyst for Solar Light-Driven Organic Pollutant Degradation and Hydrogen Production

The direct conversion of solar energy into clean fuels has emerged as an effective approach for future energy production and addressing environmental challenges. This research focuses on the synthesis of BiOCl using a straightforward hydrothermal method with Ag modification achieved through green synthesis. These materials were applied to enhance photocatalytic processes and hydrogen (H2) evolution. Comprehensive characterization of the synthesized photocatalysts was performed by using techniques, such as XRD, SEM, BET, XPS, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The Ag/BiOCl composite demonstrated impressive photocatalytic performance, achieving degradation rates of 96% for RhB, 87.7% for TC, and 85% for HQ under 18 min of solar irradiation. Additionally, a high mineralization rate of 92% was observed through Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis. Furthermore, the Ag/BiOCl composite exhibited a significant H2 evolution rate of 565 μmol g-1 h-1, which is nearly double that of pure BiOCl. The interaction between Ag and BiOCl was found to enhance the generation of O2- radicals, as confirmed by radical trapping experiments, with the underlying mechanism elucidated using LC-HRMS. The nanoparticles also demonstrated excellent degradation of industrial waste, highlighting the potential of Ag/BiOCl for use in the purification and sterilization of industrial effluents.

Robust interaction of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles with layered graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil: mechanism, performance and stability

Sulfur compounds in fuel such as thiophene, benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene are the primary source of SO x emissions, leading to environmental pollution and acid rain. In this study, we synthesized a layered oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (OCN) structure and integrated ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles onto the OCN surface through a microwave-assisted sol-gel method. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) results confirmed a robust interaction between the ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles and the oxygen-doped g-C3N4 (OCN) surface, as indicated by the formation of C-N-Ti and C-O-Ti bonds. This interaction notably improved the optoelectronic properties of the ZnO-TiO2/OCN composite, yielding increased visible light absorption, reduced charge recombination rate, and enhanced separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The oxygen doping into the CN network could alter the band structure and expand the absorption range of visible light. The ZnO-TiO2/OCN photocatalyst demonstrated remarkable desulfurization capabilities, converting 99.19% of dibenzothiophene (DBT) to dibenzothiophene sulfone (DBT-O2) at 25 °C, and eliminating 92.13% of DBT from real-world fuel oil samples. We conducted in-depth analysis of the factors impacting the redox process of DBT, including the ZnO ratio, initial DBT concentration, catalyst dosage, stability, and O/S molar ratio. Radical trapping experiments established that ˙O2 -, ˙OH and h+ radicals significantly influence the reaction rate. The obtained results indicated that the ZnO-TiO2/OCN photocatalyst represents a promising tool for future fuel oil desulfurization applications.

Photocatalytic Enhancement Strategy with the Introduction of Metallic Bi: A Review on Bi/Semiconductor Photocatalysts

Semiconductor photocatalysis has great potential in the fields of solar fuel production and environmental remediation. Nevertheless, the photocatalytic efficiency still constrains its practical production applications. The development of new semiconductor materials is essential to enhance the solar energy conversion efficiency of photocatalytic systems. Recently, the research on enhancing the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors by introducing bismuth (Bi) has attracted widespread attention. In this review, we briefly overview the main synthesis methods of Bi/semiconductor photocatalysts and summarize the control of the micromorphology of Bi in Bi/semiconductors and the key role of Bi in the catalytic system. In addition, the promising applications of Bi/semiconductors in photocatalysis, such as pollutant degradation, sterilization, water separation, CO2 reduction, and N2 fixation, are outlined. Finally, an outlook on the challenges and future research directions of Bi/semiconductor photocatalysts is given. We aim to offer guidance for the rational design and synthesis of high-efficiency Bi/semiconductor photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications.