Controlled solvothermal synthesis of self-assembled SrTiO3 microstructures for expeditious solar-driven photocatalysis dye effluents degradation

Khar-Lok Lim; Jin-Chung Sin; Sze-Mun Lam; Honghu Zeng; Hua Lin; Haixiang Li; Liangliang Huang; Jun-Wei Lim

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.118647

Controlled solvothermal synthesis of self-assembled SrTiO₃ microstructures for expeditious solar-driven photocatalysis dye effluents degradation

Environ Res. 2024 Mar 7:118647. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118647. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Khar-Lok Lim¹, Jin-Chung Sin², Sze-Mun Lam³, Honghu Zeng⁴, Hua Lin⁵, Haixiang Li⁵, Liangliang Huang⁵, Jun-Wei Lim⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
² College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. Electronic address: sinjc@utar.edu.my.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
⁴ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China. Electronic address: zenghonghu@glut.edu.cn.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
⁶ Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia; Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 602105, India.

PMID: 38460666
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118647

Abstract

In this work, the self-assembled SrTiO₃ (STO) microstructures were synthesized via a facile one-step solvothermal method. As the solvothermal temperature increased from 140 °C to 200 °C, the STO changed from a flower-like architecture to finally an irregularly aggregated flake-like morphology. The photocatalytic performance of as-synthesized samples was assessed through the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and malachite green (MG) under simulated solar irradiation. The results indicated that the photocatalytic performance of STO samples depended on their morphology, in which the hierarchical flower-like STO synthesized at 160 °C demonstrated the highest photoactivities. The photocatalytic enhancement of STO-160 was benefited from its large surface area and mesoporous configuration, hence facilitating the presence of more reactive species and accelerating the charge separation. Moreover, the real-world practicality of STO-160 photocatalysis was examined via the real printed ink wastewater-containing RhB and MG treatment. The phytotoxicity analyses demonstrated that the photocatalytically treated wastewater increased the germination of mung bean seeds, and the good reusability of synthesized STO-160 in photodegradation reaction also promoted its application in practical scenarios. This work highlights the promising potential of tailored STO microstructures for effective environmental remediation applications.

Keywords: Malachite green; Photocatalysis; Rhodamine B; Solvothermal; SrTiO(3).