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Heterojunction photocatalysts have recently emerged for use in degradation of organic pollutants, typically being suspended in effluent solution to degrade it. Post degradation, the catalyst must be removed from the treated solution, which consumes both energy and time. Moreover, the separation of nano catalysts from the treated solution is challenging. In the present work, we explore fabrication of immobilized TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction catalysts with the support of a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) matrix. These photocatalytic films do not require any steps to separate the powdered catalyst from the treated water. While the PVA-based films are unstable in water, their stability could be significantly enhanced by heat treatment, enabling efficient removal of organic effluents like methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol-A (BPA) from the aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Over 20 cycles, the heterojunction photocatalyst maintained high photocatalytic activity and showed excellent stability. Hence, an immobilization of the TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction is suggested to be beneficial from the viewpoint of reproducible and recyclable materials for simple and efficient wastewater treatment., Funding Agencies|Goran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [SPG/2021/002867, DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]; IUAC [SPG/2021/002867, IUAC/XIII.3A/67304]; Goeran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Heterojunction photocatalysts have recently emerged for use in degradation of organic pollutants, typically being suspended in effluent solution to degrade it. Post degradation, the catalyst must be removed from the treated solution, which consumes both energy and time. Moreover, the separation of nano catalysts from the treated solution is challenging. In the present work, we explore fabrication of immobilized TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction catalysts with the support of a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) matrix. These photocatalytic films do not require any steps to separate the powdered catalyst from the treated water. While the PVA-based films are unstable in water, their stability could be significantly enhanced by heat treatment, enabling efficient removal of organic effluents like methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol-A (BPA) from the aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Over 20 cycles, the heterojunction photocatalyst maintained high photocatalytic activity and showed excellent stability. Hence, an immobilization of the TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction is suggested to be beneficial from the viewpoint of reproducible and recyclable materials for simple and efficient wastewater treatment., Funding Agencies|Goran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [SPG/2021/002867, DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]; IUAC [SPG/2021/002867, IUAC/XIII.3A/67304]; Goeran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Heterojunction photocatalysts have recently emerged for use in degradation of organic pollutants, typically being suspended in effluent solution to degrade it. Post degradation, the catalyst must be removed from the treated solution, which consumes both energy and time. Moreover, the separation of nano catalysts from the treated solution is challenging. In the present work, we explore fabrication of immobilized TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction catalysts with the support of a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) matrix. These photocatalytic films do not require any steps to separate the powdered catalyst from the treated water. While the PVA-based films are unstable in water, their stability could be significantly enhanced by heat treatment, enabling efficient removal of organic effluents like methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol-A (BPA) from the aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Over 20 cycles, the heterojunction photocatalyst maintained high photocatalytic activity and showed excellent stability. Hence, an immobilization of the TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction is suggested to be beneficial from the viewpoint of reproducible and recyclable materials for simple and efficient wastewater treatment., Funding Agencies|Goran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [SPG/2021/002867, DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]; IUAC [SPG/2021/002867, IUAC/XIII.3A/67304]; Goeran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Heterojunction photocatalysts have recently emerged for use in degradation of organic pollutants, typically being suspended in effluent solution to degrade it. Post degradation, the catalyst must be removed from the treated solution, which consumes both energy and time. Moreover, the separation of nano catalysts from the treated solution is challenging. In the present work, we explore fabrication of immobilized TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction catalysts with the support of a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) matrix. These photocatalytic films do not require any steps to separate the powdered catalyst from the treated water. While the PVA-based films are unstable in water, their stability could be significantly enhanced by heat treatment, enabling efficient removal of organic effluents like methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol-A (BPA) from the aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Over 20 cycles, the heterojunction photocatalyst maintained high photocatalytic activity and showed excellent stability. Hence, an immobilization of the TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction is suggested to be beneficial from the viewpoint of reproducible and recyclable materials for simple and efficient wastewater treatment., Funding Agencies|Goran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [SPG/2021/002867, DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]; IUAC [SPG/2021/002867, IUAC/XIII.3A/67304]; Goeran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Here we report the synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)/brownmillerite KBiFe2O5 (KBFO) based het-erojunction photocatalyst. The heterojunction composite revealed rod shaped KBFO embedded on the surface of g-C3N4. The distinct phases of individual compounds are revealed through X-ray diffraction. An effective reduction in bandgap energy of KBFO/g-C3N4 (KCN) composite in comparison to pristine g-C3N4 confirmed the formation of heterojunction. Photocatalytic performance of as developed heterostructures is tested and compared by degrading common organic effluent methylene blue (MB). 25 wt% of g-C3N4 content in KBFO sample shows a remarkable improvement (92% degradation efficiency) over pure KBFO (77%) and g-C3N4 (54%). The electrode composed of 25 wt% g-C3N4 content in KBFO also reveals significant photoelectrochemical response (0.3 mA/ cm2) over KBFO (1.5 mu A/cm2). The improvement was attributed to an effective electron-hole separation in the heterojunction. These stable and reusable KBFO/g-C3N4 heterostructures hold promising future materials for energy and environmental applications., Funding Agencies|DST SERB [EMR/2017/000794, ECR/2016/000481]; DST Solar Energy Harnessing Center [DST/TMD/SERI/HUB/1(C)]; RUSA; UGC; [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Heterojunction photocatalysts have recently emerged for use in degradation of organic pollutants, typically being suspended in effluent solution to degrade it. Post degradation, the catalyst must be removed from the treated solution, which consumes both energy and time. Moreover, the separation of nano catalysts from the treated solution is challenging. In the present work, we explore fabrication of immobilized TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction catalysts with the support of a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) matrix. These photocatalytic films do not require any steps to separate the powdered catalyst from the treated water. While the PVA-based films are unstable in water, their stability could be significantly enhanced by heat treatment, enabling efficient removal of organic effluents like methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol-A (BPA) from the aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Over 20 cycles, the heterojunction photocatalyst maintained high photocatalytic activity and showed excellent stability. Hence, an immobilization of the TiO2-PEDOT:PSS hybrid heterojunction is suggested to be beneficial from the viewpoint of reproducible and recyclable materials for simple and efficient wastewater treatment., Funding Agencies|Goran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [SPG/2021/002867, DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]; IUAC [SPG/2021/002867, IUAC/XIII.3A/67304]; Goeran Gustafsson Foundation for Research in Natural Sciences and Medicine [DST/TMD-EWO/WTI/2K19/EWFH/2019/122]

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structures (HSs) have demonstrated excellent properties for various applications that are attributable to their distinctive micro-sized architecture with nanoscale substructures. Recently, the ultrarapid sonochemical approach was found to be an effective strategy for synthesizing single component HSs with uniform morphologies in comparison to the direct precipitation technique. We here report the fabrication of copper doped zinc oxide grafted on graphene layers (ZnO-Cux-GOy) for exploring the capability of this ultrarapid approach for synthesizing multi-component HSs. Interestingly, the morphology of ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs studied through electron microscopy revealed the growth of ZnO HSs decorated with Cu nanoparticles and interconnected by graphene layers. ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs demonstrated three-fold higher efficiency in the photodegradation of ibuprofen (IBU) under visible light irradiation in comparison to pristine ZnO HSs, which is attributable to the combined influence of the doped Cu2+ ions and graphene, enabling improved visible light absorption and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated charges. Thus, the novel ultrarapid sonochemical synthesis strategy demonstrated here is anticipated to open up a new horizon for the time-saving and scalable design of multi-component HSs of various materials for a myriad of applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structures (HSs) have demonstrated excellent properties for various applications that are attributable to their distinctive micro-sized architecture with nanoscale substructures. Recently, the ultrarapid sonochemical approach was found to be an effective strategy for synthesizing single component HSs with uniform morphologies in comparison to the direct precipitation technique. We here report the fabrication of copper doped zinc oxide grafted on graphene layers (ZnO-Cux-GOy) for exploring the capability of this ultrarapid approach for synthesizing multi-component HSs. Interestingly, the morphology of ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs studied through electron microscopy revealed the growth of ZnO HSs decorated with Cu nanoparticles and interconnected by graphene layers. ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs demonstrated three-fold higher efficiency in the photodegradation of ibuprofen (IBU) under visible light irradiation in comparison to pristine ZnO HSs, which is attributable to the combined influence of the doped Cu2+ ions and graphene, enabling improved visible light absorption and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated charges. Thus, the novel ultrarapid sonochemical synthesis strategy demonstrated here is anticipated to open up a new horizon for the time-saving and scalable design of multi-component HSs of various materials for a myriad of applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structures (HSs) have demonstrated excellent properties for various applications that are attributable to their distinctive micro-sized architecture with nanoscale substructures. Recently, the ultrarapid sonochemical approach was found to be an effective strategy for synthesizing single component HSs with uniform morphologies in comparison to the direct precipitation technique. We here report the fabrication of copper doped zinc oxide grafted on graphene layers (ZnO-Cux-GOy) for exploring the capability of this ultrarapid approach for synthesizing multi-component HSs. Interestingly, the morphology of ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs studied through electron microscopy revealed the growth of ZnO HSs decorated with Cu nanoparticles and interconnected by graphene layers. ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs demonstrated three-fold higher efficiency in the photodegradation of ibuprofen (IBU) under visible light irradiation in comparison to pristine ZnO HSs, which is attributable to the combined influence of the doped Cu2+ ions and graphene, enabling improved visible light absorption and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated charges. Thus, the novel ultrarapid sonochemical synthesis strategy demonstrated here is anticipated to open up a new horizon for the time-saving and scalable design of multi-component HSs of various materials for a myriad of applications.