Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr 17;25(8):4418.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25084418.

The Fabrication and Property Characterization of a Ho2YSbO7/Bi2MoO6 Heterojunction Photocatalyst and the Application of the Photodegradation of Diuron under Visible Light Irradiation

Liang Hao  1 , Jingfei Luan  1   2
Affiliations

The Fabrication and Property Characterization of a Ho2YSbO7/Bi2MoO6 Heterojunction Photocatalyst and the Application of the Photodegradation of Diuron under Visible Light Irradiation

Liang Hao et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

A novel photocatalytic nanomaterial, Ho2YSbO7, was successfully synthesized for the first time using the solvothermal synthesis technique. In addition, a Ho2YSbO7/Bi2MoO6 heterojunction photocatalyst (HBHP) was prepared via the hydrothermal fabrication technique. Extensive characterizations of the synthesized samples were conducted using various instruments, such as an X-ray diffractometer, a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, a Raman spectrometer, a UV-visible spectrophotometer, an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, and a transmission electron microscope, as well as X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, a photocurrent test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance. The photocatalytic activity of the HBHP was evaluated for the degradation of diuron (DRN) and the mineralization of total organic carbon (TOC) under visible light exposure for 152 min. Remarkable removal efficiencies were achieved, with 99.78% for DRN and 97.19% for TOC. Comparative analysis demonstrated that the HBHP exhibited markedly higher removal efficiencies for DRN compared to Ho2YSbO7, Bi2MoO6, or N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst, with removal efficiencies 1.13 times, 1.21 times, or 2.95 times higher, respectively. Similarly, the HBHP demonstrated significantly higher removal efficiencies for TOC compared to Ho2YSbO7, Bi2MoO6, or N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst, with removal efficiencies 1.17 times, 1.25 times, or 3.39 times higher, respectively. Furthermore, the HBHP demonstrated excellent stability and reusability. The mechanisms which could enhance the photocatalytic activity remarkably and the involvement of the major active species were comprehensively discussed, with superoxide radicals identified as the primary active species, followed by hydroxyl radicals and holes. The results of this study contribute to the advancement of efficient heterostructural materials and offer valuable insights into the development of sustainable remediation strategies for addressing DRN contamination.

Keywords: Ho2YSbO7; Ho2YSbO7/Bi2MoO6 heterojunction photocatalyst; degradation mechanism; degradation pathway; diuron; photocatalytic activity; visible light exposure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
XRD imageries: (a) HBHP, (b) Ho2YSbO7, and (c) Bi2MoO6.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) XRD imagery and Rietveld refinement and (b) the atomic structure (red atom: O; cyan atom: Y or Sb; green atom: Ho) of Ho2YSbO7.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) XRD pattern and Rietveld refinement and (b) the atomic structure (Red atom: O; blue atom: Mo; purple atom: Bi) of Bi2MoO6.
Figure 4
Figure 4
FTIR spectra of Ho2YsbO7, Bi2MoO6, and HBHP.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Raman spectra of (a) HBHP, (b) Bi2MoO6, and (c) Ho2YSbO7.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The corresponding high-resolution XPS spectra of (a) Ho 4d, Y 3d, and Bi 4f; (b) Mo 3d; (c) and O 1s and Sb 3d of HBHP, Ho2YSbO7, and Bi2MoO6.
Figure 7
Figure 7
TEM image of HBHP.
Figure 8
Figure 8
EDS elemental mapping of HBHP (Ho, Y, Sb, and O from Ho2YSbO7 and Bi, Mo, and O from Bi2MoO6).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Observed first-order kinetics charts for (a) DRN and (b) TOC during photodegradation of DRN with HBHP, Ho2YSbO7, Bi2MoO5, or NTO as the catalytic sample under VLE.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Observed first-order kinetic charts for (a) DRN and (b) TOC during photodegradation of DRN with HBHP as the catalytic sample under VLE for five cycle degradation tests.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Effect of different radical scavengers on (a) DRN saturation and (b) removal efficiency of DRN.
Figure 12
Figure 12
EPR spectrum for DMPO·O2− and DMPO·OH over HBHP.
Figure 13
Figure 13
(a) Transient photocurrent and (b) Nyquist impedance plots of HBHP, Ho2YSbO7, and Bi2MoO6.
Figure 14
Figure 14
UPS spectra of (a) Ho2YSbO7 and (b) Bi2MoO6 (the intersections of the black dash lines indicated by the black arrows indicated the onset (Ei) and cutoff (Ecutoff) binding energy).
Figure 15
Figure 15
Possible photodegradation mechanism of DRN with HBHP as photocatalyst under VLE.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Suggested photodegradation pathway scheme for DRN under visible light condition with HBHP as photocatalytic sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Zeshan M., Bhatti I.A., Mohsin M., Iqbal M., Amjed N., Nisar J., AlMasoud N., Alomar T.S. Remediation of pesticides using TiO2 based photocatalytic strategies: A review. Chemosphere. 2022;300:134525. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134525. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Koe W.S., Lee J.W., Chong W.C., Pang Y.L., Sim L.C. An overview of photocatalytic degradation: Photocatalysts, mechanisms, and development of photocatalytic membrane. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2020;27:2522–2565. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-07193-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boruah P.K., Das M.R. Dual responsive magnetic Fe3O4-TiO2/graphene nanocomposite as an artificial nanozyme for the colorimetric detection and photodegradation of pesticide in an aqueous medium. J. Hazard. Mater. 2020;385:121516. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121516. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lopes J.Q., Cardeal R.A., Araújo R.D., Assunçao J.C.D., Salgado B.C.B. Application of titanium dioxide as photocatalyst in diuron degradation: Operational variables evaluation and mechanistic study. Eng. Sanit. Ambient. 2021;26:61–68. doi: 10.1590/s1413-415220190092. - DOI
    1. Anirudhan T.S., Christa J., Shainy F. Magnetic titanium dioxide embedded molecularly imprinted polymer nanocomposite for the degradation of diuron under visible light. React. Funct. Polym. 2020;152:104597. doi: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2020.104597. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources