Photocatalytic hydrogen production and sulfamerazine degradation via a novel dual S-scheme photocatalyst: Nanocomposite synthesis, characterization and mechanism insights
Zaina Algarni, Hakim S. Sultan Aljibori, Abdelfattah Amari, Dheyaa J. Jasim, M.A. Diab, Heba A. El-Sabban, Noureddine Elboughdiri, Farruh Atamurotov
Abstract
Creating highly effective photocatalysts is crucial for harnessing solar energy to degrade pollutants and produce hydrogen (H₂). In this study, we successfully synthesized a novel dual S-scheme iron oxide (Fe₂O₃)/bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) ternary photocatalyst using a straightforward method. This photocatalyst was employed for efficient photocatalytic water splitting and the degradation of the antibiotic sulfamerazine (SMZ) under visible light . Various characterization and photoelectrochemical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis (BET), photocurrent measurements, Mott-Schottky analysis, photoluminescence (PL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electron spin resonance (ESR), were utilized to analyze the synthesized materials. Among the synthesized nanocomposites, the 15 wt% Fe₂O₃/Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ (15FeBi/TiO₂) composite demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic efficiency, achieving 98 % SMZ degradation and a hydrogen production rate of 590.36 μmol/g·h. Experimental results, including scavenging tests and ESR findings, highlighted the crucial role of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide radicals (•O₂ − ) in the photocatalytic process. Moreover, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) results proposed three degradation pathways, and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis showed that the toxicity of intermediates was effectively reduced. The 15FeBi/TiO₂ photocatalyst also exhibited excellent reusability, retaining about 85 % of its initial activity after five cycles, and proved effective against various pollutants and in real water matrices. This research contributes to the design and development of high-activity heterojunction photocatalysts for superior clean energy generation and pollutant degradation under visible light .