ZnFe2O4@WO3-X/Polypyrrole: An Efficient Ternary Photocatalytic System for Energy and Environmental Application

Environmental protection and the necessity of green energy have become fundamental concerns for humankind. However, rapid recombination of photoexcitons in semiconductors often gets in the path of photocatalytic reactions and annoyingly suppresses the photocatalytic activity. In this study, a polypyrrole (PPY)-supported step-scheme (S-scheme) ZnFe2O4@WO3-X (PZFW15) ternary composite was fabricated by a multistep process: hydrothermal and calcination processes, followed by polymerization. During the formation of the heterojunction, the oxygen vacancy (OV) on WO3-X promotes effective separation and increases the redox power of the photogenerated excitons via the built-in internal electric field of S-scheme pathways between ZnF and WO3-X. The successful construction of the S-scheme heterojunction was substantiated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, experimental calculations, radical trapping experiment, and liquid electron spin resonance (ESR) characterization, whereas the existence of OVs was well confirmed by EPR and Raman analyses. Meanwhile, the PPY served as a supporter, and the polaron and bipolaron species of PPY acted as electron and hole acceptors, respectively, which further enhances the charge-carrier transmission and separation in the ternary PZFW15 photocatalyst. The designed ternary nanohybrid (PZFW15) displays outstanding gemifloxacin detoxification (95%, 60 min) and hydrogen generation (657 mu mol h(-1)), i.e., 1.5 and 2.2 times higher than the normal S-scheme ZFW15 heterostructure and pure ZnFe2O4 (ZnF), respectively, with an apparent conversion efficiency of 4.92%. The ESR and trapping experiments indicate that the generated (OH)-O-center dot and O-center dot(2)- radicals from the PZFW15 photocatalyst are responsible for gemifloxacin degradation. This unique PPY-supported Sscheme heterojunction is also beneficial for the enhanced electron-transfer rate and provides abundant active sites for photocatalytic reactions.

Automated summary

The study focuses on the fabrication of a PPY-supported S-scheme ZnFe2O4@WO3-X ternary composite, which promotes effective separation of photogenerated excitons and enhances photocatalytic activity. The designed ternary nanohybrid displays outstanding gemifloxacin detoxification and hydrogen generation, with higher efficiency compared to normal S-scheme ZFW15 heterostructure and pure ZnFe2O4. The PPY-supported S-scheme heterojunction provides enhanced electron-transfer rate and active sites for photocatalytic reactions.