Vacancy pairs regulate BiOBr microstructure for efficient dimethyl phthalate removal under visible light irradiation

Bo Yang; Wenjing Wang; Zhenzhong Hu; Boxiong Shen; Sheng-Qi Guo

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132008

Vacancy pairs regulate BiOBr microstructure for efficient dimethyl phthalate removal under visible light irradiation

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Sep 15:458:132008. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132008. Epub 2023 Jul 7.

Authors

Bo Yang¹, Wenjing Wang², Zhenzhong Hu³, Boxiong Shen³, Sheng-Qi Guo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Clean Energy and Pollutant Control, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pollutant Sensitive Materials and Environmental Remediation, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, China.
² Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pollutant Sensitive Materials and Environmental Remediation, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, China.
³ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Clean Energy and Pollutant Control, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.
⁴ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Clean Energy and Pollutant Control, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China. Electronic address: guosq@hebut.edu.cn.

PMID: 37423133
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132008

Abstract

Developing new photocatalysts to achieve efficient removal of phthalate esters (PAEs) in water is an important research task in environmental science. However, existing modification strategies for photocatalysts often focus on enhancing the efficiency of material photogenerated charge separation, neglecting the degradation characteristics of PAEs. In this work, we proposed an effective strategy for the photodegradation process of PAEs: introducing vacancy pair defects. We developed a BiOBr photocatalyst containing "Bi-Br" vacancy pairs, and confirmed that it has an excellent photocatalytic activity in removing phthalate esters (PAEs). Through a combination of experimental and theoretical calculations, it is proved that "Bi-Br" vacancy pairs can not only improve the charge separation efficiency, but also alter the adsorption configuration of O₂, thus accelerating the formation and transformation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, "Bi-Br" vacancy pairs can effectively improve the adsorption and activation of PAEs on the surface of samples, surpassing the effect of O vacancies. This work enriches the design concept of constructing highly active photocatalysts based on defect engineering, and provides a new idea for the treatment of PAEs in water.

Keywords: Dimethyl phthalate degradation; O(2) activation; Photocatalysis; Reaction mechanism; “Bi-Br” vacancy pairs.