Creation of oxygen vacancies to activate 2D BiVO4 photoanode by photoassisted self‐reduction for enhanced solar‐driven water splitting

Hierarchically periodic macroporous bismuth vanadate with engineered oxygen vacancies for enhanced photo-oxidation performance

Controlling morphology and engineering surface defects are two widely employed strategies for enhancing catalyst activity, impacting the photodegradation of antibiotics and the photo-oxidation of water to generate oxygen. The hierarchical periodic macroporous structure reduces the migration distance of photo-excited carriers, lowers the electron-hole recombination rate, and increases the number of active sites by providing a larger surface area, all of which contribute to improved catalytic efficiency. A key aspect of surface defect engineering is the study of oxygen vacancies, which can act as electron donors, promoting carrier separation and thereby enhancing catalytic performance. The combined effects of these two features significantly enhance the catalyst's photo-oxidation capabilities. By contrast to traditional methods that create oxygen vacancies during the synthesis process, this study introduces additional oxygen vacancies through a secondary treatment applied after the catalyst has been produced.

The transition of tetragonal to monoclinic phase in BiVO4 coupled with peroxymonosulfate for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride

At present, the mechanism difference between tetragonal BiVO4 (t-BiVO4) and monoclinic BiVO4 (m-BiVO4) coupled peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to realize photocatalysis is still unclear. In this study, m-BiVO4 and t-BiVO4 were obtained by adjusting the bismuth-vanadium ratio in the precursor solution (Bi:V = 3:1; 1:1; 1:2 and 1:3). The results of photocatalytic experiments showed that both t-BiVO4 and m-BiVO4 had certain activation effects on PMS, and the prepared monoclinic B1V2 has the strongest photocatalytic performance. Using 20 mg B1V2 to activate 4 mmol L-1 PMS in 30 min, the degradation rate of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) reached 92.8%. The free radical quenching experiment and EPR test showed that when m-BiVO4 coupled PMS degraded TCH, the contribution of active species was SO4•->•OH>•O2- > h+. Compared with m-BiVO4, the wide band gap of t-BiVO4 makes the photogenerated carrier recombination. When t-BiVO4 coupling PMS, the contribution of active species is •O2- > SO4•->•OH>h+. In addition, the intermediate products of TCH degradation were analyzed by LC-MS, and three possible degradation paths of TCH were proposed.

The Accurate Synthesis of a Multiscale Metallic Interface on Graphdiyne

The accurate construction of composite material systems containing graphdiyne (GDY) and other metallic materials has promoted the formation of innovative structures and practical applications in the fields of energy, catalysis, optoelectronics, and biomedicine. To fulfill the practical requirements, the precise formation of multiscale interfaces over a wide range, from single atoms to nanostructures, plays an important role in the optimization of the structural design and properties. The intrinsic correlations between the structure, synthesis process, characteristic properties, and device performance are systematically investigated. This review outlines the current research achievements regarding the controlled formation of multiscale metallic interfaces on GDY. Synthetic strategies for interface regulation, as well as the correlation between the structure and performance, are presented. Furthermore, innovative research ideas for the design and synthesis of functional metal-based materials loaded onto GDY-based substances are also provided, demonstrating the promising application potential of GDY-based materials.