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Germanane and butyl-functionalized germanane as visible-light photocatalysts for the degradation of water pollutants

Germanane, a two-dimensional Ge lattice in which each atom is hydrogen-terminated in the z-direction, possesses a remarkable combination of electronic and optical properties that are attractive for applications ranging from chemical sensing to electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. In this work, we st...

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Published in:Journal of environmental chemical engineering 2023-06, Vol.11 (3), p.109784, Article 109784
Main Authors: Giousis, Theodosis, Fang, Shun, Miola, Matteo, Li, Shuangxue, Lazanas, Alexandros, Prodromidis, Mamas, Tekelenburg, Eelco K., Moschovas, Dimitrios, Loi, Maria A., Rudolf, Petra, Gournis, Dimitrios, Pescarmona, Paolo P.
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Language:English
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Summary:Germanane, a two-dimensional Ge lattice in which each atom is hydrogen-terminated in the z-direction, possesses a remarkable combination of electronic and optical properties that are attractive for applications ranging from chemical sensing to electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. In this work, we studied germanane (GeH) and the novel butyl-functionalized germanane (GeBuxH(1−x)) as photocatalysts for water purification under visible light irradiation and utilizing challenging conditions in terms of photocatalyst loading (1 mg per g of aqueous solution containing 200 ppm of pollutant). The synthesized GeH and GeBuxH(1−x) have significantly higher specific surface area (121 m2 g−1 and 76 m2 g−1, respectively) than other germanane derivatives reported to date and display optical band gaps suitable for visible light absorption (1.40 eV and 1.55 eV, respectively). In terms of photocatalytic performance, GeH displayed the best activity in the degradation of rhodamine B (61% removal after 3 h under visible radiation), while GeBuxH(1−x) proved to be the best photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol (33% removal after 3 h under visible radiation). In both cases, the activity under visible radiation surpassed that of P25 TiO2 and could be enhanced significantly by sonication in water before interaction with the pollutants. Recycling tests showed that GeH could be reused with no or negligible loss of photocatalytic activity, whereas GeBuxH(1−x) showed a minor decrease in activity upon reuse. [Display omitted] •Germanane (GeH) and its novel butylated derivative (GeBuxH(1−x)) were prepared by means of facile synthetic approaches.•GeH (121 m2 g-1) and GeBuxH(1‑x) (76 m2 g-1) showed enhanced specific surface areas compared with previously reported germananes.•GeH and GeBuxH(1−x) exhibited high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of rhodamine B and phenol under visible light.•Sonication pretreatment improved dramatically the photocatalytic activity of the germananes.•The GeH photocatalyst was recycled with negligible loss of activity.
ISSN:2213-3437
DOI:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109784