High-Performance Photoelectrochemical Desalination Based on the Dye-Sensitized Bi2O3 Anode

Enhanced photoelectric desalination of Co3O4@NC/BiVO4 photoanode via in-situ construction of hole transport layer

The solar-driven photoelectrochemical desalination (SD-PED) technology, as a new emerging desalination technique, has been developed and attracted the increasing attention. However, practical application remains hampered by several constraints, including the rapid deterioration of photocurrent, and the long-term stability of system. In this research, MOF-derived nitrogen-doped carbon@Co3O4/BVO (Co3O4@NC/BVO) heterostructured photoanode was design for efficient and durable solar driven redox desalination. It exhibits an initial photocurrent of 2.40 mA/cm2 and a desalination rate of 69.01 μg/(cm2·min) in the zero-bias state using the light as the driving force, without consuming electrical energy. Furthermore, the solar energy consumption of the photoanode is 0.187 μmol/J. The salt removal rate fluctuates within 1.36 μg/(cm2·min) throughout five cycles without any substantial decrease. Photo-luminescence, EIS and Mott-Schottky analysis are also performed to investigate interface reaction, charge separation and transfer mechanism between photoanode and electrolyte. The analysis of the charge-transfer paths on the heterojunction interface is conducted through in situ irradiation XPS. Further analysis of the generation and separation of •OH and h+ in the Co3O4@NC/BVO photoanode using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) showed that Co3O4@NC as an efficient hole transfer layer can effectively promote the separation and transfer of photo-generated electrons and holes. The excellent desalination performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of electron transfer in the Co3O4@NC/BVO heterojunction and hole transport in the Co3O4@NC efficient hole transport layer. This work is significant for the development of solar redox flow desalination.

Highly sensitive photoelectrochemical biosensing detection of early cardiac injury enabled by novel self-assembled Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 photoelectrode coupled with ZnSnO3 quencher

The development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors plays a critical role in enabling timely intervention and personalized treatment for cardiac injury. Herein, a novel approach is presented for the fabrication of highly sensitive PEC biosensor employing Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction for the ultrasensitive detection of heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP). The Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction, synthesized through in-situ growth of MgIn2S4 on Bi2O3 nanoplates, offers superior attributes including a larger specific surface area and more homogeneous distribution, leading to enhanced sensing sensitivity. The well-matched valence and conduction bands of Bi2O3 and MgIn2S4 effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated carriers and facilitate electron transfer, resulting in a significantly improved photocurrent signal response. And the presence of the secondary antibody marker (ZnSnO3) introduces steric hindrance that hinders electron transfer between ascorbic acid and the photoelectrode, leading to a reduction in photocurrent signal. Additionally, the competition between the ZnSnO3 marker and the Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction material for the excitation light source further diminishes the photocurrent signal response. After rigorous repeatability and selectivity tests, the PEC biosensor exhibited excellent performance, and the linear detection range of the biosensor was determined to be 0.05 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a remarkable detection limit of 0.029 pg/mL (S/N = 3).

Redox-Functionalized Semiconductor Interfaces for Photoelectrochemical Separations

Redox-mediated electrosorption is a promising platform for selective electrochemical (EC) separations, due to its molecular selectivity, high uptake, and tunability for target ions. However, the electrical energy required is mainly generated by non-renewable energy sources, which limits its sustainability and overall impact to decarbonization. Here, a redox-mediated photoelectrochemical (PEC) separation process using polyvinyl ferrocene functionalized TiO2 nanorod electrodes is proposed, which integrates direct solar energy as a driver for the selective electrosorption. The photoelectrochemically-driven oxidation and reduction with both homogeneous and heterogeneous ferrocene-systems is investigated to establish the underlying mechanism. The PEC system can separate heavy metal oxyanions at lower voltages or even without electrical energy. At 0.3 V versus SCE, a 124 mg g-1 uptake for Mo is achieved, which is comparable to the performance of EC cells at 0.75 V versus SCE. Thus, PEC systems not only can generate energy for spontaneous redox-separations, but also can reduce electrical energy consumption by 51.4% compared to EC cells for separation processes when coupled with an external electrical energy.

Double-photoelectrode redox desalination of seawater

High energy consumption and low salt removal rate are key barriers to realizing practical electrochemical seawater desalination processes. Here, we demonstrate a novel solar-driven redox flow desalination device with double photoelectrodes to achieve efficient desalination without electrical energy consumption. The device consists of three parts: one photoanode unit, one photocathode unit, and one redox flow desalination unit sandwiched between the two photoelectrode units. The photoelectrode units include a TiO₂ photoanode and a NiO photocathode sensitized with N719 dye, triiodide/iodide redox electrolyte, and graphite paper integrated electrodes decorated with 3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene. Two salt feeds are located between two ferro/ferricyanide redox flow chambers. Under light illumination, high-quality freshwater is obtained from brackish water containing different concentrations of NaCl from 1000 to 12,000 ppm with a high NaCl removal rate. The device can work in multiple desalination cycles without significant performance declines. Furthermore, natural seawater with an ionic conductivity of 53.45 mS cm^-1 is desalinated to freshwater. This new design opens opportunities to realize efficient and practical solar-driven desalination processes.