Water flow promoted charge separation in piezoelectric Bi4Ti3O12 for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic

Yaqing Wang; Tao Chen; Zongxi Zhao; Junhao Zhang; Shaojun Jiang; Hao Li; Shuchen Tu; Bo Yan

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140306

Water flow promoted charge separation in piezoelectric Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic

Chemosphere. 2023 Dec:343:140306. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140306. Epub 2023 Sep 26.

Authors

Yaqing Wang¹, Tao Chen¹, Zongxi Zhao¹, Junhao Zhang¹, Shaojun Jiang², Hao Li¹, Shuchen Tu³, Bo Yan¹

Affiliations

¹ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
² Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
³ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China. Electronic address: shuchentu@m.scnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37769925
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140306

Abstract

Addressing the issue of antibiotic residues in the environment is key to improving the quality of aquatic environments and reducing human health risks. In this study, piezoelectric bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂) nanosheets are synthesized and employed to conduct antibiotic degradation. The piezoelectric potential induced by the water flow shear force is utilized to facilitate charge separation and migration in the photocatalytic process and enhance the catalytic degradation of antibiotic wastewater. As a result, 85% of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is degraded within 90 min. The piezo-photocatalytic process exhibits a 2.4 times faster reaction rate and a 15% higher mineralization rate than photocatalysis. Different environmental factors are investigated for their effects on the catalytic activity in piezo-photocatalysis. In situ electrochemical measurement and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy under stress demonstrated that the piezoelectric potential shifted the energy band of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ and promoted the charge migration and separation, which produce more active species that favor the efficient catalytic degradation. Finally, the intermediate products of the tetracycline hydrochloride degradation process are analyzed and possible degradation pathways are suggested. This study elucidates the degradation mechanism of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ as a piezo-photocatalyst for antibiotic pollutants, and meticulously investigates the charge transfer mechanism of the catalyst material in response to micro-stress. Hence, it provides an efficient solution for organic wastewater treatment and can potentially provide theoretical support for the development and performance optimization of catalyst materials applied in natural environments.

Keywords: Bi(4)Ti(3)O(12); Charge separation; Degradation; Piezo-photocatalysis; Tetracycline hydrochloride.