A visible-light active p-n heterojunction NiFe-LDH/Co3O4 supported on Ni foam as photoanode for photoelectrocatalytic removal of contaminants

Light and electricity are the most prevalent energy sources in natural environment. Herein, a visible-light active Ni foam@NiFe-LDH/Co3O4 composite was successfully prepared by loading 1D Co3O4 nanowires on the surface of 2D NiFe-LDH nanosheets to be a p-n heterojunction supported on the 3D Ni foam through hydrothermal method, which can be used as photoanode directly for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) process to simultaneously remove bisphenol (BPA) and Cr(VI) from water. This unique Ni foam-based photoanode modified by NiFe-LDH/ Co3O4 heterojunction can fully expose the active sites, enhance visible-light absorption and facilitate the mi-gration and separation of photogenerated carriers, thus obtained a boosted efficiency for simultaneous removal of BPA and Cr(VI) under a low applied voltage. Furthermore, the convenient recyclability and excellent stability of the as-prepared Ni foam@NiFe-LDH/Co3O4 also show a great potential in environmental purification.

Automated summary

A unique visible-light active Ni foam@NiFe-LDH/Co3O4 composite was successfully prepared, which can efficiently remove BPA and Cr(VI) from water. The modified photoanode showed enhanced catalytic performance and environmental purification potential.