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An innovative three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 photoelectrode with multilevel facet heterojunctions (FHs) is rationally designed based on in situ 1D rutile TiO2 nanorods with top {111} facets on a Ti mesh substrate. The 3D configuration composed of nanosheets and nanorods is provided with large specific area. The stepped band structure of the multilevel FH gives further impetus to spatial charge separation. The obtained FH-{111}TiO2/Ti photoelectrode achieves a 100% removal of bisphenol A (BPA) in only 20 min and presents an outstanding stability even after 10 cycles. Briefly, this work provides a reference pathway for the highly efficient removal of BPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag/Ag3PO4 composites with various shapes (spheres, polyhedral, and microcubes) were synthesized by a facile precipitation method and a subsequent light-reduction route at room temperature. The as-prepared Ag/Ag3PO4 composites were characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflection, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The growth processes of different morphologies Ag/Ag3PO4 composites are also discussed. The decomposition test of rhodamine B (RhB) indicated that the Ag/Ag3PO4 composites enhanced the photocatalytic performance compared with pure Ag3PO4, which was attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag nanoparticles and the stability of the photocatalysts. Moreover, uniform cubes of Ag/Ag3PO4 showed the highest photocatalytic activity and could completely degrade RhB in 7 min, which could be primarily ascribed to the cubic structure of Ag/Ag3PO4 with strong visible-light absorption and efficient separation of the photo-generated electrons and holes. Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic mechanism is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 photoelectrode with multilevel facet heterojunctions (FHs) is rationally designed based on in situ 1D rutile TiO2 nanorods with top {111} facets on a Ti mesh substrate. The 3D configuration composed of nanosheets and nanorods is provided with large specific area. The stepped band structure of the multilevel FH gives further impetus to spatial charge separation. The obtained FH-{111}TiO2/Ti photoelectrode achieves a 100% removal of bisphenol A (BPA) in only 20 min and presents an outstanding stability even after 10 cycles. Briefly, this work provides a reference pathway for the highly efficient removal of BPA.

It is stubborn to remove the lowly concentrated phthalic acid esters (PAEs) that usually coexist with other highly concentrated but low-toxic pollutants in municipal sewage. Herein, we report a novel strategy for completely removing the PAEs over a bi-functional {001}TiO 2 surface (with highly exposed {001} facet), which not only serve as functional sites to specifically adsorb the target PAEs pollutants, but also contribute to an enhanced oxidation ability. The adsorption behavior of PAEs on {001}TiO 2 is analyzed deeply through kinetic experiments combining with in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. The results reveal that the adsorption capacities of PAEs on {001}TiO 2 are about 4-5 times higher than that on TiO 2 , both of which follow the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir model. This is mainly attributed to the interfacial Lewis Acid-Base Pair between {001} facet Ti 5c sites and CO of PAEs. Benefitting from the specific adsorption capability toward target pollutant and enhanced oxidation ability of {001} facets, nearly 100% of DMP or DEP in simulated wastewater can be eliminated by {001}TiO 2 within 2 h illumination, and the relevant degradation rate constants (k) (3.67 h -1 for DMP and 2.19 h -1 for DEP) are 5.73 and 3.08 folds higher than that of pure TiO 2 , respectively. In the application of municipal wastewater, nearly 76% of DMP and 85% DEP can be eliminated by {001}TiO 2 within 2 h illumination, which are nearly 3-6 fold higher than that of pure TiO 2 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)