Highly efficient visible-LED-driven photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline and rhodamine B over Bi2WO6/BiVO4 heterostructures decorated with silver and graphene synthesized by a novel green method

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-06, Vol.31 (28), p.39945-39960
• Main Authors: Segovia-Sandoval, Sonia Judith, Mendoza-Mendoza, Esmeralda, Jacobo-Azuara, Araceli, Jiménez-López, Brenda Azharel, Hernández-Arteaga, Aida Catalina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bismuth compounds; Bismuth oxides; Catalytic activity; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; energy use and consumption; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Graphene; Heterostructures; Light emitting diodes; Metathesis; Molten salts; N-type semiconductors; Nanoparticles; nanosilver; Oxidation; Photocatalysis; Photodegradation; Power consumption; Rhodamine; rhodamines; Silver; Special Adsorbent Materials for Retention and Degradation of Pollutants from Fluid Phases; species; superoxide anion; Synthesis; temperature; tetracycline; Tungstates; Vanadates; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zeta potential
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27731-6

Visible-light-driven Bi 2 WO 6 /BiVO 4 (BWO/BVO) heterostructures were obtained by joining BWO and BVO n-type semiconductors. A novel and green metathesis-assisted molten salt route was applied to synthesize BWO/BVO. This route is straightforward, high-yield, intermediate temperature, and was successful for obtaining BWO/BVO heterostructures with several ratios (1:1, 1:2, 2:1 w/w). Besides, the 1BWO/1BVO was decorated with Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs, 6 wt.%) and graphene (G, 3 wt.%), applying simple and environmentally responsible procedures. The heterostructures were characterized by XRD, Raman, UV–Vis DRS, TEM/HRTEM, PL, and Zeta potential techniques. Ag-NPs and G effectively boosted the photocatalytic activity of 1BWO/1BVO for degrading tetracycline (TC) and rhodamine B (RhB) pollutants. A lab-made 19-W blue LED photoreactor was designed, constructed, and operated to induce the photoactivity of BWO/BVO heterostructures. The low-rated power consumption of the photoreactor (0.01–0.04 kWh) vs. the percent degradation of TC or RhB (% X TC  = 73, % X RhB  = 100%) is one of the outstanding features of this study. Besides, scavenger tests determined that holes and superoxides are the main oxidative species that produced TC and RhB oxidation. Ag/1BWO/1BVO exhibited high stability in reuse photocatalytic cycles.