Design and synthesis of Z-scheme LaFeO3/MoS2/graphene heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Photocatalysis is an effective way to treat industrial wastewater. Therefore, the design of low-cost and high -activity photocatalysts is crucial for environmental remediation. Herein, a ternary Z-Scheme LaFeO3/MoS2/ graphene nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile two-step hydrothermal approach and tested for the degradation of dye wastewater. To this end, graphene was employed as a substrate for loading LaFeO3 nanospheres and MoS2 nanosheets to act as an electron migration medium for Z-scheme hetero-junction. The obtained LaFeO3/MoS2/graphene photocatalyst showed high efficiency and stable perfor-mance toward the degradation of methylene blue (MB), estimated to 16.5-fold higher than that of sole LaFeO3. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between LaFeO3 and MoS2/graphene co-catalyst, leading to the expansion of the visible light absorption range and opti-mization of the redox potential. Most importantly, the closely contacted Z-scheme heterojunction interface between LaFeO3 and MoS2/graphene facilitated the separation and transport efficiency of photogenerated carriers, as well as prolonged the lifetime of photogenerated carriers. In sum, these results look promising for the future design of highly efficient LaFeO3-based photocatalysts with Z-scheme heterojunction struc-tures.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A Z-scheme LaFeO3/MoS2/graphene photocatalyst was synthesized and tested for the degradation of dye wastewater. The photocatalyst showed high efficiency and stable performance, attributed to the synergistic effect between LaFeO3 and MoS2/graphene co-catalyst and the optimized Z-scheme heterojunction interface.