Enhanced synchronous photocatalytic 4-chlorophenol degradation and Cr(VI) reduction by novel magnetic separable visible-light-driven Z-scheme CoFe2O4/P-doped BiOBr heterojunction nanocomposites

Jin-Chung Sin; Sze-Mun Lam; Honghu Zeng; Hua Lin; Haixiang Li; Liangliang Huang; Kai-Onn Tham; Abdul Rahman Mohamed; Jun-Wei Lim

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113394

Enhanced synchronous photocatalytic 4-chlorophenol degradation and Cr(VI) reduction by novel magnetic separable visible-light-driven Z-scheme CoFe₂O₄/P-doped BiOBr heterojunction nanocomposites

Environ Res. 2022 Sep;212(Pt C):113394. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113394. Epub 2022 May 7.

Authors

Jin-Chung Sin¹, Sze-Mun Lam², Honghu Zeng³, Hua Lin⁴, Haixiang Li⁴, Liangliang Huang⁴, Kai-Onn Tham⁵, Abdul Rahman Mohamed⁶, Jun-Wei Lim⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. Electronic address: sinjc@utar.edu.my.
² College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China. Electronic address: zenghonghu@glut.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
⁵ Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
⁶ School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
⁷ Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

PMID: 35537501
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113394

Abstract

The co-existence of organic contaminants and heavy metals including 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and Cr(VI) in aquatic system have become a challenging task in the wastewater treatment. Herein, the synchronous photocatalytic decomposition of 4-CP and Cr(VI) over new Z-scheme CoFe₂O₄/P-BiOBr heterojunction nanocomposites were revealed. In this work, the nanocomposites were successfully developed via a surfactant-free hydrothermal method. The heterojunction interface was created by decorating magnetic CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles onto P-BiOBr nanosheets. The as-fabricated CoFe₂O₄/P-BiOBr nanocomposites substantially improved the synchronous decomposition of 4-CP and Cr(VI) compared to the single-phase component samples under visible light irradiation. Particularly, the 30-CoFe₂O₄/P-BiOBr nanocomposite displayed the best photocatalytic performance, which decomposed 95.6% 4-CP and 100% Cr(VI) within 75 min. The photocatalytic improvement was assigned to the Z-scheme heterojunction assisted charge migration between CoFe₂O₄ and P-BiOBr, and the acceleration of charge carrier separation was validated by the findings of charge dynamics measurements. The harmful 4-CP was photodegraded into smaller organics whereas the Cr(VI) was photoreduced into Cr(III) after 30-CoFe₂O₄/P-BiOBr photocatalysis, and the good recyclability of fabricated nanocomposite in photocatalytic reaction also showed promising potential for practical applications in environmental remediation. Finally, the radical quenching tests confirmed that there existed the Z-scheme path of charge migration in CoFe₂O₄/P-BiOBr nanocomposite, which was the mechanism responsible for its high photoactivity.

Keywords: 4-Chlorophenol; CoFe(2)O(4)/P–BiOBr nanocomposite; Cr(VI); Photocatalysis; Wastewater; Z-Scheme.