Self-induced Fenton reaction constructed by Fe(III) grafted BiVO4 nanosheets with improved photocatalytic performance and mechanism insight

A novel self-induced Fenton-like photocatalyst (Fe(III) grafted BiVO4) has been successfully synthesized via a simple wet-impregnation method, and it presents a universal enhancement for removing antibiotics and phenolic pollutants under visible light irradiation. Results reveal that the grafting of Fe(III) enhances the specific surface area of sample and possess more reaction sites. Meanwhile, the Fe(III) species serve as trapping centers for photogenerated electrons to improve the separation ability of charges, and the self-induced surface Fenton reaction of the self-redox cycles of iron ions significantly promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Additionally, the possible reaction mechanism and intermediate products are clearly revealed by radical trapping experiment, ESR, detection experiment of hydroxyl radicals and mass spectrometry. This strategy provides a promising insight to construct high-performance photocatalyst for solving environmental pollution problem.