Epigrammatic progress and perspective on the photocatalytic properties of BiVO4-based photocatalyst in photocatalytic water treatment technology: A review

How can heteroatoms boost the performance of photoactive nanomaterials for wastewater purification?

Photocatalysis, as an alternative for treating persistent water pollutants, holds immense promise. However, limitations hinder sustained treatment and recycling under varying light conditions. This comprehensive review delves into the novel paradigm of metal and non-metal doping to overcome these challenges. It begins by discussing the fundamental principles of photocatalysis and its inherent limitations. Understanding these constraints is crucial for developing effective strategies. Band gap narrowing by metal and non-metal doping modifies the band gap, enabling visible-light absorption. Impurity energy levels and oxygen vacancies influenced the doping energy levels and surface defects. Interfacial electron transfer and charge carrier recombination are the most important factors that impact overall efficiency. The comparative analysis of nanomaterials are reviewed on various, including nanometal oxides, nanocarbon materials, and advanced two-dimensional structures. The synthesis process are narratively presented, emphasizing production yields, selectivity, and efficiency. The review has potential applications in the environment for efficient pollutant removal and water purification, economic cost-effective and scalable production and technological advancement catalyst design, in spite of its challenges in material stability, synthesis methods and optimizing band gaps. The novelty of the review paper is on the proposal of a new paradigm of heterojunctions of doped metal and non-metal photocatalysts to promise highly efficient water treatment. This review bridges the gap between fundamental research and practical applications, offering insights into tailored nano photocatalysts.

Facile fabrication of AgVO3/rGO/BiVO4 hetero junction for efficient degradation and detoxification of norfloxacin

In the recent past, the development of efficient materials for degradation and detoxification of antibiotics has gained more attention in wastewater treatment process. As a visible light active material AgVO₃ has attracted much concern in environmental remediation. To improve its efficiency and stability, a novel heterojunction was prepared by combining AgVO₃ with rGO and BiVO₄ through a hydrothermal method. The prepared AgVO₃/rGO/BiVO₄ composite was further utilized for effective detoxification of Norfloxacin (NFC) antibiotic. The morphological analysis revealed the clear rod shaped AgVO₃ and leaf like BiVO₄ that are evenly distributed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layers. The visible light absorbance and the catalytic activity of AgVO₃/rGO/BiVO₄ was dramatically improved compared to pure AgVO₃ and BiVO₄. From the results it showed that the degradation efficiency of AgVO₃/rGO/BiVO₄ (∼96.1%, k = 0.01782 min^-1) was 2.5 times higher than pure AgVO₃ and 3.4 times higher than the pure BiVO₄ respectively towards NFC after 90 min. The higher efficiency could be attributed to the heterojunction formation and faster charge separation. The radical trapping experiments results indicated that the •OH, and O₂•- are the main species responsible for degradation. The degradation products of NFC were analysed through ESI-LC/MS and pathway was proposed. Furthermore, the toxicity assessment of pure NFC and its degradation products was studied using E. coli as the model bacteria through colony forming unit assay and the results indicated the efficient detoxification was attained during the degradation process. Thus, our study provides new insight into detoxification of antibiotics using AgVO₃ based composites.

Enhanced sulfamethazine detoxification by a novel BiOCl (110)/NrGO/BiVO4 heterojunction

The emerging contaminants removal from the environment has recently been raised concerns due to their presence in higher concentrations. Over usage of emerging contaminant such as sulfamethazine poses serious threat to the aquatic and human health as well. This study deals with rationally structured a novel BiOCl (110)/NrGO/BiVO₄ heterojunction which is used to detoxify sulfamethazine (SMZ) antibiotic efficiently. The synthesised composite was well characterized and the morphological analysis evidenced the formation of heterojunction consisted of nanoplates BiOCl with dominant exposed (110) facets and leaf like BiVO₄ on NrGO layers. Further results revealed that the addition of BiVO₄ and NrGO tremendously increased the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of BiOCl with the rate of 96.9% (k = 0.01783 min^-1) towards SMZ within 60 min of visible light irradiation. Furthermore, heterojunction energy-band theory was employed to determine the degradation mechanism of SMX in this study. The larger surface area of BiOCl and NrGO layers are believed to be the reason for higher activity which facilitates the excellent charge transfer and improved light absorption. In addition, SMZ degradation products identification was carried out by LC-ESI/MS/MS to determine the pathway of degradation. The toxicity assessment was studied using E. coli as a model microorganism through colony forming unit assay (CFU), and the results indicated a significant reduction in biotoxicity was observed in 60 min of degradation process. Thus, our work gives new methods in developing various materials that effectively treat emerging contaminants from the aqueous environment.

New light on the photocatalytic performance of NH4V4O10 and its composite with rGO

Solar-driven photocatalysis has shown great potential as a sustainable wastewater treatment technology that utilizes clean solar energy for pollutant degradation. Consequently, much attention is being paid to the development of new, efficient and low-cost photocatalyst materials. In this study, we report the photocatalytic activity of NH₄V₄O₁₀ (NVO) and its composite with rGO (NVO/rGO). Samples were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method and successfully characterized using XRD, FTIR, Raman, XPS, XAS, TG-MS, SEM, TEM, N₂ adsorption, PL and UV‒vis DRS. The results indicate that the obtained NVO and NVO/rGO photocatalysts exhibited efficient absorption in the visible wavelength region, a high content of V⁴⁺ surface species and a well-developed surface area. Such features resulted in excellent performance in methylene blue photodegradation under simulated solar light illumination. In addition, the composite of NH₄V₄O₁₀ with rGO accelerates the photooxidation of the dye and is beneficial for photocatalyst reusability. Moreover, it was shown that the NVO/rGO composite can be successfully used not only for the photooxidation of organic pollution but also for the photoreduction of inorganic pollutants such as Cr(VI). Finally, an active species trapping experiment was conducted, and the photodegradation mechanism was discussed.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Visible-Light-Driven BiVO4 Nanoparticles through W and Mo Substituting

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), W-doped BiVO4 (BiVO4:W), and Mo-doped BiVO4 (BiVO4:Mo) nanoparticles were synthesized at pH = 4 using a green hydrothermal method. The effects of 2 at% W or Mo doping on the microstructural and optical characteristics of as-prepared BiVO4 nanoparticles and the effect of combining particle morphology modification and impurity dopant incorporation on the visible-light-derived photocatalytic degradation of dilute Rhodamine B (RhB) solution are studied. XRD examination revealed that these obtained BiVO4-based nanoparticles had a highly crystalline and single monoclinic phase. SEM and TEM observations showed that impurity doping could modify the surface morphology, change the particle shape, and reduce the particle diameter to enlarge their specific surface area, increasing the reactive sites of the photocatalytic process. XPS and FL measurements indicated that W- and Mo-doped nanoparticles possessed higher concentrations of oxygen vacancies, which could promote the n-type semiconductor property. It was found that the BiVO4:W and BiVO4:Mo powder samples exhibited better photocatalytic activity for efficient RhB removal than that shown by pristine BiVO4 powder samples under visible light illumination. That feature can be ascribed to the larger surface area and improved concentration of photogenerated charge carriers of the former.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment: Environmental sources, biological effects, remediation techniques, and perspective

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been identified as emerging contaminants, which poses a great threat to human health and ecosystem. Pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, brominated flame retardants, steroid hormones and alkylphenols are representative of this type of contaminant, which are closely related to daily life. Unfortunately, many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) do not treat EDCs as targets in the normal treatment process, resulting in EDCs entering the environment. Few studies have systematically reviewed the related content of EDCs in terms of occurrence, harm and remediation. For this reason, in this article, the sources and exposure routes of common EDCs are systematically described. The existence of EDCs in the environment is mainly related to human activities (Wastewater discharges and industrial activities). The common hazards of these EDCs are clarified based on available toxicological data. At the same time, the mechanism and effect of some mainstream EDCs remediation technologies (such as adsorption, advanced oxidation, membrane bioreactor, constructed wetland, etc.) are separately mentioned. Moreover, our perspectives are provided for further research of EDCs.

Emerging bismuth-based direct Z-scheme photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dye and antibiotic residues

Organic dye and antibiotic residues are some of the key substances that can contaminate the environment due to their wide usage in various industries and modern medicine. The degradation of these substances present in waterbodies is essential while contemplating human health. Photocatalysts (PSs) are promising materials that develop highly reactive species instantly by simple solar energy conversion for degrading the organic dye and antibiotic residues and converting them into nontoxic products. Among numerous semiconductors, the bismuth (Bi)-containing PS has received great attention due to its strong sunlight absorption, facile preparation, and high photostability. Owing to the technology advancement and demerits of the traditional methods, a Bi-containing direct Z-scheme PS has been developed for efficient photogenerated charge carrier separation and strong redox proficiency. In this review, a synthetic Bi-based Z-scheme heterojunction that mimics natural photosynthesis is described, and its design, fabrication methods, and applications are comprehensively reviewed. Specifically, the first section briefly explains the role of various semiconductors in the environmental applications and the importance of the Bi-based materials for constructing the Z-scheme photocatalytic systems. In the successive section, overview of Z-scheme PS are concisely discussed. The fourth and fifth sections extensively explain the degradation of the organic dyes and antibiotics utilizing the Bi-based direct Z-scheme heterojunction. Eventually, the conclusions and future perspectives of this emerging research field are addressed. Overall, this review is potentially useful for the researchers involved in the environmental remediation field as a collection of up-to-date research articles for the fabrication of the Bi-containing direct Z-scheme PS.

Effect of the Type of Heterostructures on Photostimulated Alteration of the Surface Hydrophilicity: TiO2/BiVO4 vs. ZnO/BiVO4 Planar Heterostructured Coatings

Here, we report the results of comparative studies of the photostimulated hydrophilic behavior of heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 and ZnO/BiVO4, and monocomponent TiO2 and ZnO nanocoating surfaces. The chemical composition and morphology of the synthesized nanocoatings were characterized by XPS, SEM, and AFM methods. The electronic energy structure of the heterostructure components (band gap, top of the valence band, bottom of the conduction band, and Fermi level position) was determined on the basis of experimental results obtained by XPS, UV-V absorption spectroscopy and Kelvin probe methods. According to their electronic energy structure, the ZnO/BiVO4 and TiO2/BiVO4 heterostructures correspond to type I and type II heterostructures, respectively. The difference in the type of heterostructures causes the difference in the charge transfer behavior at heterojunctions: the type II TiO2/BiVO4 heterostructure favors and the type I ZnO/BiVO4 heterostructure prevents the photogenerated hole transfer from BiVO4 to the outer layer of the corresponding metal oxide. The results of the comparative studies show that the interaction of the photogenerated holes with surface hydroxy-hydrated multilayers is responsible for the superhydrophilic surface conversion accompanying the increase of the surface free energy and work function. The formation of the type II heterostructure leads to the spectral sensitization of the photostimulated surface superhydrophilic conversion.

Step-scheme BiVO4/WO3 heterojunction photocatalyst under visible LED light irradiation removing 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solutions

In the present study, photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) using a step-scheme BiVO₄/WO₃ heterostructure under visible LED light irradiation (Vis LED) from aqueous solutions was investigated. The photocatalyst was synthesized through the hydrothermal process and characterized physically and chemically via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunnauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. The effects of the operational parameters i.e., solution pH, contact time, nanocomposite dosage, and initial 4-CP concentration were evaluated. Results indicated that BiVO₄/WO₃/Vis LED process has higher efficiency in 4-CP degradation than BiVO₄/Vis LED, WO₃/Vis LED, and BiVO₄/WO₃ systems. At BiVO₄/WO₃ concentration of 0.125 g/L, initial pH of 7, and initial 4-CP concentration of 25 mg/L, complete degradation of 4-CP (>97%) was achieved in reaction time of 60 min. The phenol, chlorobenzene, catechol, 4-chlorocatechol, 5-chloro-1,2,4-benzenetriol, hydroquinone, hydroxyhydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, o-benzoquinone, formic acid, acetic acid, and oxalic acid were identified as the major intermediates of 4-CP degradation. In optimal condition, 67.5% and 88.5% of TOC and COD removal rates were obtained in 120 min contact time, respectively. The degradation of 4-CP was pseudo-first-order kinetics. Through the use of tert-Butyl alcohol (TBA) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as radical scavengers, hydroxyl radicals and holes were identified as the main active species in photocatalytic degradation. Also, a tentative pathway for 4-CP degradation using the Vis LED/BiVO₄/WO₃ process was proposed.

A sandwich-type photoelectrochemical aptasensor using Au/BiVO4 and CdS quantum dots for carcinoembryonic antigen assay

A novel sandwich-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor for the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay was fabricated using the CEA aptamer, Au/BiVO₄ and CdS quantum dots (CdS QDs). In virtue of the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of Au nanoparticles, Au/BiVO₄ showed an effective utilization of visible light and excellent photoactivity, and was employed as the photoanode. After CdS QDs were conjugated to Au/BiVO₄ through the sandwich structure based on the hybridization of the CEA aptamer with two partially complementary single-stranded DNA molecules, the photocurrents were further enhanced by a resonance energy transfer between CdS QDs and Au nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the consumption of the photo-induced holes by ascorbic acid could also retard the combination of the electron-hole pairs and cause an increase of the photocurrents. However, the specific recognition of CEA by the CEA aptamer could destroy the sandwich structure and remarkably weaken the photocurrent response. Thus, the quantitative detection of CEA was connected with the decrease of the photocurrent. Benefitting from the above methods for signal enhancement, the PEC aptasensor showed a wide sensing range of 0.0001-10 ng mL^-1 and a low detection limit of 0.047 pg mL^-1 for CEA detection. The specificity, stability and recoveries of the PEC aptasensor were also excellent. Therefore, the construction of the present PEC aptasensor provides a universal and practical method for sensing other substances.

Binary and Ternary Vanadium Oxides: General Overview, Physical Properties, and Photochemical Processes for Environmental Applications

This review article is a comprehensive report on vanadium oxides which are interesting materials for environmental applications. Therefore, a general overview of vanadium and its related oxides are presented in the first two parts. Afterwards, the physical properties of binary and ternary vanadium oxides in single and mixed valence states are described such as their structural, optical, and electronic properties. Finally, the use of these vanadium oxides in photochemical processes for environmental applications is detailed, especially for the production of hydrogen by water splitting and the degradation of organic pollutants in water using photocatalytic and photo-Fenton processes. The scientific aim of such a review is to bring a comprehensive tool to understand the photochemical processes triggered by vanadium oxide based materials where the photo-induced properties are thoroughly discussed based on the detailed description of their intrinsic properties.

Superior photoelectrocatalytic performance of ternary structural BiVO4/GQD/g-C3N4 heterojunction

Herein, we performed an encyclopedic analysis on the photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production of BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ decorated with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The differences between RGO and GQDs as an electron mediator was revealed for the first time in the perspective of theoretical DFT analysis and experimental validation. It was found that the incorporation of GQDs as an electron mediator promotes better photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen performance in comparison to the RGO. The addition of GQD can significantly improve the activity by 25.2 and 75.7% in comparison to the BiVO₄/RGO/g-C₃N₄ and binary composite samples, respectively. Correspondingly, the BiVO₄/GQD/g-C₃N₄ attained the highest photocurrent density of 19.2 mA/cm² with an ABPE of 0.57% without the presence of any sacrificial reagents. This enhancement is stemming from the low photocharge carrier transfer resistance which was further verified via DFT study. The DFT analysis revealed that the BiVO₄/GQD/g-C₃N₄ sample shared their electronic cloud density through orbital hybridization while the BiVO₄/RGO/g-C₃N₄ sample show less mutual sharing. Additionally, the charge redistribution of the GQDs-composite at the heterostructure interface articulates a more stable and stronger heterojunction than the RGO-composite. Notably, this study provides new insights on the effect of different carbonaceous materials (RGO and GQDs) which are often used as an electron mediator to enhance photocatalytic activity.

Plasmonic silver/silver oxide nanoparticles anchored bismuth vanadate as a novel visible-light ternary photocatalyst for degrading pharmaceutical micropollutants

The degradation of pharmaceutical micropollutants is an intensifying environmental problem and synthesis of efficient photocatalysts for this purpose is one of the foremost challenges worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop novel plasmonic Ag/Ag₂O/BiVO₄ nanocomposite photocatalysts by simple precipitation and thermal decomposition methods, which could exhibit higher photocatalytic activity for mineralized pharmaceutical micropollutants. Among the different treatments, the best performance was observed for the Ag/Ag₂O/BiVO₄ nanocomposites (5 wt.%; 10 min's visible light irradiation) which exhibited 6.57 times higher photodegradation rate than the pure BiVO₄. Further, the effects of different influencing factors on the photodegradation system of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) were investigated and the feasibility for its practical application was explored through the specific light sources, water source and cycle experiments. The mechanistic study demonstrated that the photogenerated holes (h⁺), superoxide radicals (•O₂^-) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) participated in TC-HCl removal process, which is different from the pure BiVO₄ reaction system. Hence, the present work can provide a new approach for the formation of novel plasmonic photocatalysts with high photoactivity and can act as effective practical application for environmental remediation.

Uniform flower-like BiOBr/BiOI prepared by a new method: visible-light photocatalytic degradation, influencing factors and degradation mechanism

BiOBr/BiOI photocatalyst with different molar ratios was synthesized via a simple one-step solvothermal method. The uniform flower-like BiOBr/BiOI (3 : 1) owns high photocatalytic degradation efficiency, excellent recyclability and stability.