Accelerated Redox Cycles of Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(III)/Cu(II) by Photo-Induced Electron from N-CQDs for Enhanced Photo-Fenton Capability of CuFe-LDH
Xingyuan Du, Lu Liu, Zhe Dong, Zheng Cui, Xiaochen Sun, Di Wu, Zhe Ma, Fang Zhang, Yang Liu, Yonglei An
Abstract
Layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials have shown charming photo-Fenton capability for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater. In this study, CuFe-LDH hybridized with N-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) was investigated to further enhance the photo-Fenton capability. The results showed that the assembly techniques of coprecipitation and the hydrothermal method could synthesize the target material, CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs, successfully. CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs could possess a 13.5% higher methylene blue (MB) removal rate than CuFe-LDH in 30 min due to the accelerated redox cycles of Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(III)/Cu(II), resulting from the photo-induced electron transfer from N-CQDs to CuFe-LDH via a d–π conjugation electronic bridge. Moreover, CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs has excellent photo-Fenton capability in the pH range of 2–11, even after being reused five times. This study would provide an efficient and stable photo-Fenton catalyst for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater.