Understanding the multifunctionality in Cu-doped BiVO_4 semiconductor photocatalyst

作     者：Chhabilal Regmi Yuwaraj K.Kshetri Ramesh Prasad PANDey Tae-Ho Kim Gobinda Gyawali Soo Wohn Lee 

作者机构：Department of Environmental and Biochemical Engineering Sun Moon University Department of Advanced Materials Engineering Sun Moon University Institute of Biomolecule Reconstruction Department of BT-Convergent Pharmaceutical Engineering Sun Moon University Division of Mechanics and ICT Convergence Engineering Sun Moon University 

出 版 物：《Journal of Environmental Sciences》 (环境科学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2019年第31卷第1期

页      面：84-97页

核心收录：

学科分类：0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 08[工学] 

基　　金：supported by the Global Research Laboratory Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education,Science and Technology (MEST) of Korea (No.2010-00339) 

主　　题：BiVO4 Photocatalyst Methylene Blue Ibuprofen Escherichia coli First principle calculation 

摘      要：A visible light-induced, Cu-doped BiVO_4 photocatalyst was synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic efficiency was investigated in the degradation of model water pollutants like Methylene Blue(dye) and ibuprofen(pharmaceuticals), as well as the inactivation of Escherichia coli(bacteria). The Cu-doped BiVO4 samples showed better efficiency than undoped BiVO_4, and the 1 wt.% Cu-doped BiVO_4 sample showed the best efficiency. The degradation of Methylene Blue reached 95%, while the degradation of ibuprofen reached 75%, and the inactivation of E. coli reached 85% in irradiation with visible light. The appearance of additional absorption band shoulders and widening of the optical absorption in the visible range makes the prepared powder an efficient visible light-driven photocatalyst. Moreover, the formation of an in-gap energy state just above the valance band as determined by density functional theory(DFT) first principle calculation, facilitates the wider optical absorption range of the doped system. Similarly, this in-gap energy state also acts as an electron trap, which is favorable for the efficient separation and photoexcited charge carriers transfer process. The formation of oxygen vacancies due to doping also improved the separation of the charge carrier, which promoted the trapping of electrons and inhibited electron hole recombination, thus increasing the photocatalytic activity. No decrease in the efficiency of the 1 wt.% Cu-doped BiVO_4 photocatalyst in the degradation of ibuprofen over three consecutive cycles revealed the stability of the photocatalyst towards photocorrosion. These findings highlight the multifunctional applications of Cu-doped BiVO_4 in wastewater containing multiple pollutants.