A "bottle-around-ship" like method synthesized yolk-shell Ag3PO4@MIL-53(Fe) Z-scheme photocatalysts for enhanced tetracycline removal

Photo-Fenton degradation of tetracycline antibiotic over MIL-101(Cr)/FeOOH nanocomposite as stable and efficient visible light responsive photocatalyst

Designing an inexpensive, easily synthesized, stable and efficient photocatalyst is a major challenge in photocatalysis area, especially when photo-reaction is performed in aquatic medium to degrade organic pollutants. To this aim, nano-sized MIL-101(Cr) (MIL = Materials Institute Lavoisier), as chemically tolerant metal-organic framework (MOF), was simply prepared via HF-free hydrothermal synthesis procedure. In order to decorate amorphous FeOOH quantum dots (QDs) on the surface of this MOF, various amounts of FeOOH QDs (i.e., 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%) were synthesized in the presence of MIL-101(Cr) to prepare MIL-101(Cr)/FeOOH(x%) nanocomposites. Decoration of such iron oxide quantum dots on the surface of MIL-101(Cr) and investigation of its activity in photo-Fenton degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic is reported here for the first time. Among the synthesized nanocomposites, MIL-101(Cr)/FeOOH(15%) demonstrated superior photo-Fenton activity in degradation of TC (80%) at short reaction time under optimum reaction condition using the energy-efficient white LED lamps as visible light source. It was observed that the synergy between any component of this photo-Fenton system such as nanocomposite, hydrogen peroxide and visible light is the main reason for enhancement of TC removal over time. Also, neither MIL-101(Cr) nor FeOOH QDs exhibited poor degradation efficiency, which implies the positive role of the coupling of these materials. Furthermore, the stability and recoverability of MIL-101(Cr)/FeOOH(15%) nanocomposite was investigated in four photo-Fenton cycles, which no significant decrease in TC degradation performance was observed.

Noble metal-free ternary cobalt-nickel phosphides for enhanced photocatalytic dye-sensitized hydrogen evolution and catalytic mechanism investigation

Transition metal phosphides have emerged as compelling alternatives to noble metal catalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, owing to their high efficiency, stability, ease of preparation, and low-cost-effectiveness. This study investigates a series of binary and ternary phosphides predominantly composed of cobalt and nickel employed for photocatalytic dye-sensitized hydrogen evolution. Under the optimal dye-to-catalyst mass ratio, CoNiP exhibited the highest hydrogen evolution activity (12.96 mmol g-1 h-1), demonstrating more significant and satisfactory performance than a variety of other reported materials. This can be attributed to the high conductivity and low hydrogen evolution overpotential of phosphides, which result from their metallic characteristics and the presence of free electrons, which promote efficient electron transfer between the catalyst and sensitizer. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the cobalt incorporation into the binary phosphides causes a negative shift in the average d-band center for CoNiP, weakening the adsorption affinity of the catalyst towards H2 molecules, thus effectively improving the hydrogen evolution rate compared to the pure binary phosphides. This work provides valuable insights for the development of low-cost and high-performance ternary phosphide photocatalysts.

Metal-organic frameworks in photocatalytic Z-scheme heterojunctions: an emerging technology

There is an urgent need for cleaner production processes for chemicals. An efficient and promising alternative for such reactions is heterogeneous photocatalysis, which works on the principle of converting (visible) light, including solar energy, into chemical energy. To that end, properly designed semiconductor based photocatalysts are necessary to trigger the photocatalytic reactions. Many commonly used photocatalysts have too large bandgaps (3-3.4 eV) to use visible light and a too low surface area for efficient production. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an encouraging class of materials for photocatalytic applications due to their (i) large surface area and porosity that facilitate adsorption towards chemicals, (ii) tunable crystallinity and optical and electronic properties for efficient light absorption in the visible region, (iii) tunable composition and functionality that make them versatile photocatalysts for a wide range of reactions, and (iv) facile development of composites with other semiconductors to produce Z-scheme heterojunctions that can effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated charges. Ongoing research has started focusing on the judicious construction of Z-scheme heterojunctions in MOFs, to mimic natural photosynthesis, such that the MOF photocatalysts have higher light harvesting capacity, spatially separated reductive and oxidative active sites, and well-preserved redox ability. This review provides a concise compilation of the recent progress in the development and applications of MOF-based Z-scheme photocatalysts, their advanced characterization, and future perspectives for further advancements.

Orientated construction of visible-light-assisted peroxymonosulfate activation system for antibiotic removal: Significant enhancing effect of Cl. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023;445:130476. [PMID: 36455327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130476]

Antibiotic contaminants can migrate over long distances in the water, thus possibly causing severe detriment to the environment and even potential harm to human health. Heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) assisted by visible light is an emerging and promising technology for the purification of such wastewater. This study designed an ultra-efficient and stable PMS activator (FeCN) to restore the typical antibiotic-polluted water under harsh conditions. About 90.94% of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was degraded in 35 min in the constructed FeCN+PMS/vis system, and the reaction rate constant was nearly 50-fold higher than direct photocatalysis. Electron spin resonance, quenching experiments, LC/MS technique, eco-toxicity assessment, and density functional theory validated that the SMX removal was dominated by the attack of h⁺, ^•O₂^- and ¹O₂ on the active atoms of SMX molecules with high Fukui index, presenting as a simultaneous degradation and detoxification process. Such a visible-light-assisted PMS activation system also had good resistance to the environmental water bodies and a broad spectrum in the degradation of various pollutants. In particular, Cl^- (50 mM) could significantly accelerate the removal of SMX with a 32.6-fold increase in catalytic activity, and the mineralization efficiency could reach 56.6% under identical conditions. Moreover, this Cl^- containing system excluded the degradation products of disinfection by-products, and such a system was also versatile for different contaminants. This work demonstrates the feasibility of the FeCN+PMS/vis system for the remediation of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater in the presence and absence of Cl^-, and also highlights their great potential in WWTPs.

Recent progress in semiconductor/graphene photocatalysts: synthesis, photocatalytic applications, and challenges

The presence of an increasing number of organic pollutants in water now poses serious risks to both human health and ecological systems. Many of these pollutants are persistent and non-biodegradable. The contamination of fresh water by harmful substances has compelled researchers to develop innovative, efficient, and cost-effective water remediation techniques and materials. Thus, photocatalysis has long been recognized as a promising approach to tackle both environmental remediation and the energy crisis. However, semiconductor photocatalysts frequently suffer from defects such as photo-generated charge carrier recombination, poor visible light response, and slow surface reaction kinetics, which can be remedied by modifications with appropriate co-catalysts. Therefore, graphene and its derivatives have widely been used as supports for semiconductors and photocatalysts due to their distinctive optical, physicochemical, and electrical features. This critical review addresses the current progress in the design and synthesis of graphene/semiconductor photocatalysts, as well as their use in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and hydrogen production. Several influencing parameters are addressed, including pH, photocatalyst loading, initial pollutant concentration, light wavelength, and oxidizing species, all of which could have a significant impact on the rate of organic pollutant's degradation. Furthermore, the recyclability of the catalyst and its photocatalytic activity mechanisms are thoroughly discussed. Numerous case studies are systematically presented. Moreover, future prospects and major challenges are highlighted.

Nanoengineered metal-organic framework for adsorptive and photocatalytic mitigation of pharmaceuticals and pesticide from wastewater

Rapidly expanding water pollution has transformed into significant dangers around the world. In recent years, the pharmaceutical and agriculture field attained enormous progress to meet the necessities of health and life; however, discharge of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and pesticides into water significantly have a negative influence on human health and the environment. Contamination with these pollutants also constitutes a great threat to the aquatic ecosystem. To deal with the harmful impacts of such pollutants, their expulsion has attracted researchers' interest a lot, and it became essential to figure out techniques suitable for the removal of these pollutants. Thus, many researchers have devoted their efforts to improving the existing technology or providing an alternative strategy to solve this environmental problem. One of the attractive materials for this purpose is metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to their superior high surface area, high porosity, and the tunable features of their structures and function. Among various techniques of wastewater treatment, such as biological treatment, advanced oxidation process and membrane technologies, etc., metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) materials are tailorable porous architectures and are viably used as adsorbents or photocatalysts for wastewater treatment due to their porosity, tunable internal structure, and large surface area. MOFs are synthesized by various methods such as solvo/hydrothermal, sonochemical, microwave and mechanochemical methods. Most common method used for the synthesis of MOFs is solvothermal/hydrothermal methods. Herein, this review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in MOFs and their derivatives, focusing on the following aspects: synthesis and applications. This review comprehensively highlights the application of MOFs and nano-MOFs to remove pharmaceuticals and pesticides from wastewater. For the past years, transition metal-based MOFs have been concentrated as photocatalyst/adsorbents in treating contaminated water. However, work on main group metal-based MOFs is not so abundant. Hence, the foremost objective of this review is to present the latest material and references concerning main group element-based MOFs and nanoscale materials derived from them towards wastewater treatment. It summarizes the possible research challenges and directions for MOFs and their derivatives as catalysts applied to wastewater treatment in the future. With the context of recent pioneering studies on main group elements-based MOFs and their derivatives; we hope to stimulate some possibilities for further development, challenges and future perspectives in this field have been highlighted.

Hollow Nanospheres Organized by Ultra-Small CuFe2O4/C Subunits with Efficient Photo-Fenton-like Performance for Antibiotic Degradation and Cr(VI) Reduction

Hollow transition metal oxides have important applications in the degradation of organic pollutants by a photo-Fenton-like process. Herein, uniform, highly dispersible hollow CuFe2O4/C nanospheres (denoted as CFO/C-PNSs) were prepared by a one-pot approach. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images verified that the CFO/C-PNS catalyst mainly presents hollow nanosphere morphology with a diameter of 250 ± 30 nm. Surprisingly, the photodegradation test results revealed that CFO/C-PNSs had an excellent photocatalytic performance in the elimination of various organic contaminants under visible light through the efficient Fenton catalytic process. Due to the unique hollow structure formed by the assembly of ultra-small CFO/C subunits, the catalyst exposes more reaction sites, improving its photocatalytic activity. More importantly, the resulting magnetically separable CFO/C-PNSs exhibited excellent stability. Finally, the possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism of the CFO/C-PNSs was proposed, which enables us to have a clearer understanding of the photo-Fenton mechanism. Through a series of characterization and analysis of degradation behavior of CFO/C-PNS samples over antibiotic degradation and Cr(VI) reduction, •OH radicals generated from H2O2 decomposition played an essential role in enhancing the reaction efficiency. The present work offered a convenient method to fabricate hollow transition metal oxides, which provided impetus for further development in environmental and energy applications. Highlights: Novel hollow CuFe2O4/C nanospheres were prepared by a facile and cost-effective method. CuFe2O4/C exhibited excellent photo-Fenton-like performance for antibiotic degradation. Outstanding photocatalytic performance was attributed to the specific hollow cavity-porous structure. A possible mechanism for H2O2 activation over hollow CuFe2O4/C nanospheres was detailed and discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks as a good platform for the fabrication of multi-metal nanomaterials: design strategies, electrocatalytic applications and prospective

MOF-derived multi-metal nanomaterials are attracting numerous attentions in widespread applications such as catalysis, sensors, energy storage and conversion, and environmental remediation. Compared to the monometallic counterparts, the presence of foreign metal is expected to bring new physicochemical properties, thus exhibiting synergistic effect for enhanced performance. MOFs have been proved as a good platform for the fabrication of polymetallic nanomaterials with requisite features. Herein, various design strategies related to constructing multi-metallic nanomaterials from MOFs are summarized for the first time, involving metal nodal substitution, seed epitaxial growth, ion-exchange strategy, guest species encapsulation, solution impregnation and combination with extraneous substrate. Afterwards, the recent advances of multi-metallic nanomaterials for electrocatalytic applications, including oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), are systematically discussed. Finally, a personal outlook on the future trends and challenges are also presented with hope to enlighten deeper understanding and new thoughts for the development of multi-metal nanomaterials from MOFs.

Synthesis, modifications and applications of MILs Metal-organic frameworks for environmental remediation: The cutting-edge review

Ever-increasing anthropogenic activities are radically deteriorating the environment by causing severe pollution. Thus, curtailing the environmental pollution and promotion of sustainable development, are the hot issues confronted by scientists in this modern era. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been highly recognized as emerging promising materials for environmental remediation due to their versatile structure and extraordinary properties. Among them, MILs (MIL = Matérial Institute of Lavoisier) are the series of MOFs mostly known for their incredible stability, unique tailorable pore structures, and astounding versatile environmental applications. Their exclusive physiochemical properties and multifunctionality make them proficient for a wide range of pollutants removal in the exposure of versatile harsh environments, compared to other MOFs. This piece of research summarizes the state-of-the-art of development of MILs on the broad spectrum, highlighting their specificities, such as synthesis techniques, modifications and applications for environmental remediation. However, MILs wonderful properties and extraordinary applications in multiple fields, their deployment on practical and commercial-scale pollutants remediation is hindered by insufficient scientific research on underlying mechanisms and relationships. Henceforth, this review not only signifies the emerging importance of MILs for environmental applications but also indicates the urgency to maximize the scientific research for exploitation of MOFs on a practical level and promotion of green technologies for environmental remediation.

Hybrid metal organic frameworks as an Exotic material for the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants present in wastewater: A review

In this world, water is considered as the Elixir for all living creatures. Human life rolls with water, and every activity depends upon water. Worldwide water resources are being contaminated due to the elevation in the population count, industrialization and urbanization. Ejection of chemicals by industries and domestic sewages remains the major reason in the destruction of natural water resources. Contaminated water with harmful microbes, chemical dyes, pesticides, and carcinogens are the root cause of many diseases and deaths of living species. In this scenario, researchers engaged in producing ultra components to remove the contaminants. Metal organic frameworks (MOF) are the desired combination of organic and inorganic materials to achieve the required target. MOFs possess unique characteristics like tunable internal structure, porosity, crystallinity and high surface area which enable them for energy and environmental application. For the past years, MOFs are concentrated more as a photocatalyst in the treatment of polluted water. These research studies discuss the improvement of photocatalytic performance of MOF by the incorporation of metals, metal coupled with nanoparticles like polymers, graphene, etc., into it to achieve the enhanced photocatalytic activity by scavenging entire chemicals and harmful microbes to retain the quality of water. The target of this review article is to focus on the state of the art research work on MOFs in photocatalytic water treatment technique.

Z-scheme Fe2(MoO4)3/Ag/Ag3PO4 heterojunction with enhanced degradation rate by in-situ generated H2O2: Turning waste (H2O2) into wealth (•OH)

Ag₃PO₄-based photocatalysts have been deeply studied in environmental remediation; however, two problems limited their further application: photocorrosion and quenching effect by in-situ generated H₂O₂. To addressed these two questions simultaneously, Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ was coupled with Ag₃PO₄ to construct Z-scheme Fe₂(MoO₄)₃/Ag/Ag₃PO₄ heterojunction driven by internal-electric-field. The rhodamine B degradation rate of heterojunction was 254 and 7.0 times higher than those of Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ and Ag₃PO₄, respectively. The outstanding photoactivity was due to the high visible-light harvest, low interface resistance, high separation efficiency of charge carriers, long lifetime of hole (h⁺) and electron (e^-), well-preserved oxidation potential of h⁺, and especially photocatalytic produced H₂O₂ inside the system. The in-situ generated H₂O₂ was fully activated to be ^•OH on the Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ surface via a Fenton reaction, leading to the elimination of quenching effect on h⁺ and e^-, and generation of more ^•OH. Additionally, in Z-scheme heterojunction, e^- transferred from Ag₃PO₄ to Fe₂(MoO₄)₃, avoiding the accumulation on Ag₃PO₄ surface, and hence suppressing the photocorrosion. As a result, 91.2% of degradation efficiency remained after 5 cycles. This paper provides a new method to simultaneously increase the degradation rate by utilizing the in-situ generated H₂O₂ and improve the stability of Ag₃PO₄ via constructing a Z-scheme heterojunction.

Recent progress of noble metals with tailored features in catalytic oxidation for organic pollutants degradation

With the increasing serious water pollutions, an increasing interest has given for the nanocomposites as environmental catalysts. To date, noble metals-based nanocomposites have been extensively studied by researchers in environmental catalysis. In detail, serving as key functional parts, noble metals are usually combined with other nanomaterials for rationally designing nanocomposites, which exhibit enhanced catalytic properties in pollutants removal. Noble metals in the nanocomposites possess tailored properties, thus playing different important roles in catalytic oxidation reactions for pollutants removal. To motivate the research and elaborate the progress of noble metals, this review (i) summarizes advanced characterization techniques and rising technology of theoretical calculation for evaluating noble metal, and (ii) classifies the roles according to their disparate mechanism in different catalytic oxidation reactions. Meanwhile, the enhanced mechanism and influence factors are discussed. (iii) The conclusions, facing challenges and perspectives are proposed for further development of noble metals-based nanocomposites as environmental catalysts.

Fabrication of MIL-53(Fe)/Ag3PO4 cooperated Photoreduction of Ag0 Particles with outstanding Efficiency on photo-driven H2 Evolution and Pollutant Degradation

The novel heterostructure photocatalyst includes photoreduction of Ag0 loaded MIL-53(Fe)/Ag3PO4 (MFAAx) composites were designed and successfully synthesized via hydrothermal with deposition and photoreduction method. Then the physicochemical and optical properties...

Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by metal-organic frameworks modified with Bi2WO6 nanosheet under direct sunlight

Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with visible-light response have attracted much attention in the field of environmental purification and solar energy conversion. In this study, MIL-100(Fe) was modified with Bi₂WO₆ nanosheets by a facile hydrothermal method to fabricate a photocatalyst with direct Z-scheme heterojunction. When treating the tetracycline (TC) solution under natural sunlight, 12 wt%MIL-100(Fe)/Bi₂WO₆ obtained the highest apparent rate constant of (6.59 ± 0.52)✕10^-3 L mg^-1 min^-1, which was 16.1 and 3.9 times than that of pristine MIL-100(Fe) and Bi₂WO₆, respectively. In addition to explore the feasibility of sunlight-activated MIL-100(Fe)/Bi₂WO₆ to remove TC under various conditions, the degradation intermediates and their possible transformation pathway were provided with the aid of three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix spectra and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system. The results of Escherichia coli culture demonstrated that the biotoxicity variation of TC solution would first increase and then decrease with the photodegradation time. Ultimately, based on the results of bandgap calculation, radicals trapping and charge flow tracking experiments, the direct Z-scheme heterojunction between MIL-100(Fe) and Bi₂WO₆ nanosheets was confirmed and the photocatalytic mechanism for TC degradation was rationally proposed. This work enriched MOFs-based heterojunction photocatalysts and provided a promising method to eliminate hazardous TC from aqueous solution.

A review of metal organic framework (MOFs)-based materials for antibiotics removal via adsorption and photocatalysis

Antibiotic abuse has led to serious water pollution and severe harm to human health; therefore, there is an urgent need for antibiotic removal from water sources. Adsorption and photodegradation are two ideal water treatment methods because they are cheap, simple to operate, and reusable. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent adsorbents and photocatalysts because of their high porosity, adaptability, and good crystal form. The aim of this study is to suggest ways to overcome the limitations of adsorption and photocatalysis treatment methods by reviewing previous applications of MOFs to antibiotic adsorption and photocatalysis. The different factors influencing these processes are also discussed, as well as the various adsorption and photocatalysis mechanisms. This study provides a valuable resource for researchers intending to use MOFs to remove antibiotics from water bodies.

Insights into the Stability and Activity of MIL-53(Fe) in Solar Photocatalytic Oxidation Processes in Water

MIL-53(Fe) is a metal organic framework that has been recently considered a heterogeneous photocatalyst candidate for the degradation of water pollutants under visible or solar radiation, though stability studies are rather scarce in the literature. In this work, MIL-53(Fe) was successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TGA-MS), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), elemental analysis and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF). The effects of pH, temperature, solar radiation and the presence of oxidants (i.e., electron acceptors) such as ozone, persulfate and hydrogen peroxide on the stability of MIL-53(Fe) in water were investigated. The as-synthetized MIL-53(Fe) exhibited relatively good stability in water at pH 4 but suffered fast hydrolysis at alkaline conditions. At pH 4–5, temperature, radiation (solar and visible radiation) and oxidants exerted negative effect on the stability of the metal–organic framework (MOF) in water, resulting in non-negligible amounts of metal (iron) and linker (terephthalic acid, H2BDC) leached out from MIL-53(Fe). The photocatalytic activity of MIL-53(Fe) under simulated solar radiation was studied using phenol and metoprolol as target pollutants. MIL-53(Fe) on its own removed less than 10% of the pollutants after 3 h of irradiation, while in the presence of ozone, persulfate or hydrogen peroxide, complete elimination of pollutants was achieved within 2 h of exposure to radiation. However, the presence of oxidants and the formation of some reaction intermediates (e.g., short-chain carboxylic acids) accelerated MIL-53(Fe) decarboxylation. The findings of this work suggest that MIL-53(Fe) should not be recommended as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for water treatment before carrying out a careful evaluation of its stability under actual reaction conditions.

Strategic Doping Approach of the Fe-BiOI Microstructure: An Improved Photodegradation Efficiency of Tetracycline

The present study describes the strategic doping of Fe metal ions into a BiOI microstructure using ex situ and in situ processes to synthesize a Fe-BiOI microstructure and their effect on photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC). The data suggested that in situ Fe-BiOI (Fe-BiOI-In) has superior performance compared to ex situ Fe-BiOI (Fe-BiOI-Ex) due to the uniform dispersion of Fe within the Fe-BiOI material. Calculated bandgaps ∼1.8, ∼1.5, and 2.4 eV were observed for BiOI (without Fe), Fe-BiOI-In, and Fe-BiOI-Ex, respectively. Interestingly, Fe incorporation within BiOI might decrease the bandgap in Fe-BiOI-In due to the uniform distribution of metal ions, whereas increasing the bandgap in Fe-BiOI-Ex attributed to nonuniform distribution or agglomeration of metal ions. The uniform dispersion of Fe within Fe-BiOI modulates electronic properties as well as increases the exposure of Fe ions with TC, thereby higher degradation efficiency of TC. The in situ Fe-BiOI material shows 67 and 100% degradation of TC at 10 and 1 mg/L, respectively. The TC degradation was also found to be pH-dependent; when increasing the pH value up to 10, 94% degradation was achieved at 10 mg/L within 60 min of solar irradiation. The analysis was also performed over BiOI, which proves that Fe has a profound effect on TC degradation as Fe(II) tends to trigger oxidation-reduction by utilizing the chelate formation tendency of TC. Therefore, the prepared Fe-BiOI-In has the potential ability to degrade pharmaceutical compounds, especially, TC from wastewater.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline by a Novel (CMC)/MIL-101(Fe)/β-CDP Composite Hydrogel

Herein, we report a novel carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/MIL-101 (Fe)/poly(β-cyclodextrin) (β-CDP) hydrogel with high photocatalytic activity. β-CDP can significantly enhance the photoactivity of MIL-101(Fe) in the hydrogel prepared by a simple solvothermal method. The structure and property of this composite hydrogel were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Tetracycline was selected as a model pharmaceutical antibiotic to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composite hydrogel under visible light irradiation and darkness, respectively. This composite hydrogel shows excellent activity for degrading pharmaceutical antibiotics under visible light irradiation. The increased photocatalytic activity can be attributed to β-CDP, which acts as a promoter and affords an efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs of MIL-101(Fe). Moreover, the composite hydrogel is shown to have good water retainability. The hydrogel is inexpensive and shows high photocatalytic activity. Hence, it can be used as an efficient photocatalytic material.

Construction of cerium oxide nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of zinc vanadate nanoflowers for accelerated photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation

Construction of Z-scheme heterojunction has been deemed to be an effective and promising approach to boost the photocatalytic activity on account of accelerating the separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers and maintaining the strong redox ability. Herein, an attractive CeO₂/Zn₃V₂O₈ Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was rationally constructed by zero-dimensional (0D) CeO₂ nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of three-dimensional (3D) Zn₃V₂O₈ nanoflowers using a simple mixing method, and applied to the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. As expected, it was observed that the prepared CeO₂/Zn₃V₂O₈ hybrid illustrated significantly boosted the photocatalytic activity for the elimination of TC compared to pure Zn₃V₂O₈. More importantly, the optimized CeO₂(40 wt%)/Zn₃V₂O₈ hybrid owned the largest elimination rate of TC with 1.13 × 10^-2 min^-1, which was around 8.1 and 3.8 times as high as single CeO₂ (0.14 × 10^-2 min^-1) and Zn₃V₂O₈ (0.30 × 10^-2 min^-1), respectively. The appreciable performance improvement was mainly ascribed to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between CeO₂ and Zn₃V₂O₈, facilitating the transfer rate of photogenerated carriers and remaining the high reducibility of photoexcited electrons in CeO₂ and strong oxidizability of photoinduced holes in Zn₃V₂O₈. Active species capture experiments and electron spin resonance spectra showed that superoxide radicals and holes were the main active species for TC degradation. Besides, the possible degradation pathways of TC were speculated by identifying degradation intermediates, and the reasonable degradation mechanism including migration and transport behaviors of charge carriers and generation processes of reactive species were revealed in depth. This investigation enriches Zn₃V₂O₈-based Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalytic system and offers a new inspiration for the construction and fabrication of high-efficiency Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts to remove the antibiotics from wastewater.

Facile synthesis of a novel Ag3PO4/MIL-100(Fe) Z-scheme photocatalyst for enhancing tetracycline degradation under visible light

In this work, a novel visible light-driven heterostructure Ag₃PO₄/MIL-100(Fe) composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via facile chemical deposition method at room temperature. Especially when the mass ratio of Ag₃PO₄ was 20% of MIL-100(Fe) (APM-2), it displayed the best photocatalytic performance, for which the degradation rate of tetracycline (TC) in conventional environment was 6.8 times higher than that of bare MIL-100(Fe). In addition, the effects of the initial concentration and pH of the solution on the degradation of tetracycline were also studied, and the results showed that the degradation of tetracycline was more favorable in a weakly alkaline environment. The excellent performance of Ag₃PO₄/MIL-100(Fe) composites was attributed to the fact that on the basis of having adequate photocatalytic active sites, modifying MIL-100(Fe) with an appropriate amount of Ag₃PO₄ particles can more effectively separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Five cycles of experiments showed that APM-2 has good photostability. Lastly, it was proved through quenching experiments that •O₂^-, h⁺, and •OH all played corresponding roles in the degradation process, and a possible Z-scheme heterostructure photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed.

Recent advances in application of graphitic carbon nitride-based catalysts for degrading organic contaminants in water through advanced oxidation processes beyond photocatalysis: A critical review

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have attracted much interest in the field of water treatment owing to their high removal efficiency for refractory organic contaminants. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄)-based catalysts with high performance and cost effectiveness are promising heterogeneous catalysts for AOPs. Most research on g-C₃N₄-based catalysts focuses on photocatalytic oxidation, but increasingly researchers are paying attention to the application of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in other AOPs beyond photocatalysis. This review aims to concisely highlight recent state-of-the-art progress of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in AOPs beyond photocatalysis. Emphasis is made on the application of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in three classical AOPs including Fenton-based processes, catalytic ozonation and persulfates activation. The catalytic performance and involved mechanism of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in these AOPs are discussed in detail. Meanwhile, the effect of water chemistry including pH, water temperature, natural organic matter, inorganic anions and dissolved oxygen on the catalytic performance of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts are summarized. Moreover, the reusability, stability and toxicity of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in water treatment are also mentioned. Lastly, perspectives on the major challenges and opportunities of g-C₃N₄-based catalysts in these AOPs are proposed for better developments in the future research.

In Situ Grown Single-Atom Cobalt on Polymeric Carbon Nitride with Bidentate Ligand for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Refractory Antibiotics

Semiconductor photocatalysis is a promising technology to tackle refractory antibiotics contamination in water. Herein, a facile in situ growth strategy is developed to implant single-atom cobalt in polymeric carbon nitride (pCN) via the bidentate ligand for efficient photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC). The atomic characterizations indicate that single-atom cobalt is successfully anchored on pCN by covalently forming the CoO bond and CoN bond, which will strengthen the interaction between single-atom cobalt and pCN. This single-atom cobalt can efficiently expand optical absorption, increase electron density, facilitate charge separation and transfer, and promote OTC degradation. As the optimal sample, Co(1.28%)pCN presents an outstanding apparent rate constant for OTC degradation (0.038 min^-1 ) under visible light irradiation, which is about 3.7 times than that of the pristine pCN. The electron spin resonance (ESR) tests and reactive species trapping experiments demonstrate that the ¹ O₂ , h⁺ , •O₂^- , and •OH are responsible for OTC degradation. This work develops a new way to construct single-atom-modified pCN and provides a green and highly efficient strategy for refractory antibiotics removal.

Modified MIL-100(Fe) for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline under visible-light irradiation

Iron-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with low cost and excellent photocatalytic potential are extremely attractive in the field of energy utilization and environmental remediation. In this study, a novel In₂S₃/MIL-100(Fe) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method for the first time. Several technologies (such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) were used to characterize the as-obtained samples and demonstrate the successful combination of MIL-100(Fe) and In₂S₃. Experimental results showed that 18% of tetracycline (TC) was adsorbed under dark condition and another 70% of TC was degraded under visible-light irradiation when treating 100 mL of TC solution (10 mg/L) with 30 mg of In₂S₃/MIL-100(Fe) composites. The corresponding TC removal efficiency was almost 1.9 and 1.6 times higher than that of pure MIL-100(Fe) and In₂S₃, respectively. The mechanism investigations revealed that the heterojunction composite exhibited superior charge transfer than either MIL-100(Fe) or In₂S₃, and this caused more efficient separation of electron-hole pairs. As a result, more radicals and holes were generated in the composite, leading to better photocatalytic performance. This work highlights the powerful combination of MOFs and semiconductor, which is a promising approach to fabricate heterojunction photocatalyst for wastewater purification.