Preparation and optical properties of three-dimensional navel-like Bi2WO6 hierarchical microspheres

Recent advances in photodegradation of antibiotic residues in water

Antibiotics are widely present in the environment due to their extensive and long-term use in modern medicine. The presence and dispersal of these compounds in the environment lead to the dissemination of antibiotic residues, thereby seriously threatening human and ecosystem health. Thus, the effective management of antibiotic residues in water and the practical applications of the management methods are long-term matters of contention among academics. Particularly, photocatalysis has attracted extensive interest as it enables the treatment of antibiotic residues in an eco-friendly manner. Considerable progress has been achieved in the implementation of photocatalytic treatment of antibiotic residues in the past few years. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments on this important topic. This review primarily focuses on the application of photocatalysis as a promising solution for the efficient decomposition of antibiotic residues in water. Particular emphasis was laid on improvement and modification strategies, such as augmented light harvesting, improved charge separation, and strengthened interface interaction, all of which enable the design of powerful photocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic removal of antibiotics.

Sisal-like Sn2+ doped ZnO hierarchical structures: synthesis, growth mechanism, and their application in photocatalysis

Sisal-like Sn doped ZnO hierarchical structures were prepared by the hydrothermal method without employing templates or matrices. The architectures show enhanced light absorption, high photocatalytic properties, good stability and reusability.

Mulberry-like BiVO4 architectures: synthesis, characterization and their application in photocatalysis

Mulberry-like BiVO₄ architectures were prepared by a facile solvothermal route. The obtained architectures showed enhanced light absorption, high photocatalytic properties, good stability and reusability.

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance with metal-doped Bi2WO6 for typical fluoroquinolones degradation: Efficiencies, pathways and mechanisms

To clarify the photocatalytic mechanisms of metal-doped Bi₂WO₆ for fluoroquinolones (FQs) degradation, the effects of the chemical characteristics of four metals, molar ratios of the doped metals, morphology of the catalysts, and electrostatic interactions on the degradation of norfloxacin (NOR) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were evaluated under visible light irradiation. Experimental results implied that the doping of Mg²⁺, Fe³⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ dramatically improved the photodegradation of Bi₂WO₆ for NOR and CIP removal, in which 1% Mg/Bi₂WO₆ exhibited the highest degradation rate of 89.44% for NOR and 99.11% for CIP. Photodegradation of NOR fitted to the pseudo-first-order model (k₁ value of 0.02576 min^-1), whereas that of CIP be better described by pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, the two FQs photodegradation pathways and the possible intermediates were summarized. The mechanisms of the metal dopants for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity were attributed to its enhanced specific surface area, electrostatic absorption, as well as the significant photogeneration of ·O₂^- and h⁺. Also, the photocatalyst exhibited a high stability with 78.5% photocatalytic performance after four cycles of repeated usage.

Graphene oxide mediated co-generation of C-doping and oxygen defects in Bi2WO6 nanosheets: a combined DRIFTS and DFT investigation

In order to efficiently control air pollutants using photocatalytic technology, the co-generation of C-doping and oxygen vacancies (OVs) in Bi₂WO₆ (BWO) nanosheets was achieved by a graphene oxide (GO)-mediated hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic performance was highly improved with the synergistic effects of C-doping and OVs. The experimental characterization and DFT calculations were closely combined to reveal that the C element could serve as both an electron acceptor and channel for charge transfer to promote charge separation. Meanwhile, the OVs could induce the formation of a defect level in the band gap which increases the production of ˙OH as the primary reactive species by introducing more light-generated holes into the valence band. Meanwhile, the OVs could enhance the generation of ˙O₂^- species via the promotion of O₂ adsorption and activation on the catalyst surface. Moreover, the reaction intermediates were monitored and the mechanism of photocatalytic NO oxidation was proposed based on in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The design concept of photocatalyst modification with C-doping and OVs could offer a novel strategy to enhance the performance for environmental applications.