Photoelectrochemically driven nanoparticulate semiconductors as nanobipolar electrodes for advanced water remediation

Photochemistry is of broad interest for applications in catalysis, syn-thesis, and environmental remediation. However, photochemistry applications are largely hampered by rapid recombination of photo -generated charges and/or limited surface areas of photoelectrodes. Combining the advantages of photochemistry and electrochemistry, here we report a strategy using photoelectrochemically driven semi-conducting nanoparticles to function as nanobipolar electrodes. The system shows enhanced production of photogenerated charges and has an extended heterogeneous:homogeneous photoelectrode inter-face and can be applied as an advanced oxidation process for water remediation. Complete removal of refractory pollutants was achieved with a series of n-and p-type semiconductors over a wide range of pH values with tolerance for anions and resistance to photocorrosion. This strategy achieves higher reaction rates than photocatalysis and conventional photoelectrocatalysis (61 and 24 times, respectively) and, hence, lower energy consumption. This bipolar photochemistry strategy may have a wide range of potential applications in energy-, synthesis-, and environment-related fields.

Automated summary

This study presents a strategy using photoelectrochemically driven semiconductor nanoparticles as nanobipolar electrodes for advanced oxidation process in water remediation, achieving effective removal of various pollutants with significantly higher reaction rates and lower energy consumption than photocatalysis and traditional photoelectrocatalysis.