Synergistic role of hydrogen treatment and heterojunction in H-WO3-x/TiO2-x NT/Ti foil-based photoanodes for photoelectrochemical wastewater detoxification and antibacterial activity

Mahadeo A Mahadik; In-Seon Hwang; Weon-Sik Chae; Hyun Hwi Lee; Sun Hee Choi; Min Cho; J S Jang

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137973

Synergistic role of hydrogen treatment and heterojunction in H-WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NT/Ti foil-based photoanodes for photoelectrochemical wastewater detoxification and antibacterial activity

Chemosphere. 2023 Mar:318:137973. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137973. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Authors

Mahadeo A Mahadik¹, In-Seon Hwang¹, Weon-Sik Chae², Hyun Hwi Lee³, Sun Hee Choi³, Min Cho⁴, J S Jang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Biotechnology, Safety, Environment and Life Science Institute, College of Environmental and Bioresource Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 570-752, Republic of Korea.
² Daegu Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
³ Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Division of Biotechnology, Safety, Environment and Life Science Institute, College of Environmental and Bioresource Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 570-752, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: cho317@jbnu.ac.kr.
⁵ Division of Biotechnology, Safety, Environment and Life Science Institute, College of Environmental and Bioresource Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 570-752, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jangjs75@jbnu.ac.kr.

PMID: 36709844
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137973

Abstract

The process of photoelectrochemical wastewater detoxification is limited by significant charge recombination, which is difficult to suppress with efficient single-material photoanodes. We demonstrated the effectiveness of hydrogen treatment in evaluating charge separation properties in WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NT/Ti foil heterojunction photoanodes. The influence of varying hydrogen annealing (200-400 °C) on the structural and photoelectrochemical properties of WO₃/TiO₂ NS/NT heterojunction is studied systematically. Additionally, after hydrogen treatment of pristine WO₃/TiO₂ NT/Ti foil photoanodes, substoichiometric H-WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NT-300 achieved the 1.21 mA/cm² photocurrent density, which is 8.06 and 3.27 times than TiO₂ NT and WO₃/TiO₂ NT. The hydrogen-treated H-WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NT-300 electrode exhibits 3 times greater bulk efficiencies than the WO₃/TiO₂ NT electrode due to the production of oxygen vacancies at the interface. Additionally, optimum H-WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NS/NT-300 photoanode exhibited 93.8% E. coli and 99.8% BPA decomposition efficiencies. The present work shows the effectiveness of microwave-assisted H-WO_3-x/TiO_2-x NT heterojunction photoanodes for organic decomposition and antibacterial activity in a neutral environment without surface-loaded co-catalysts.

Keywords: Heterojunction; Hydrogen treatment; Microwave synthesis; Oxygen vacancy; Wastewater detoxification.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Escherichia coli*
Hydrogen
Titanium*
Wastewater

Substances

titanium dioxide
Titanium
Wastewater
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Hydrogen