Design of a ZnO/Poly(vinylidene fluoride) inverse opal film for photon localization-assisted full solar spectrum photocatalysis

Owing to its photonic band gap (PBG) and slow light effects, aniline black (AB)-poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) inverse opal (IO) photonic crystal (PC) was constructed to promote the utility of light and realize photothermal synergetic catalysis. As a highly efficient reaction platform with the capability of restricting heat, a microreactor was introduced to further amplify the photothermal effects of near infrared (NIR) radiation. The photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO/0.5AB-PVDF IO (Z0.5A) increases 1.63-fold compared to that of pure ZnO film under a full solar spectrum, indicating the effectiveness of synergetic promotion by slow light and photothermal effects. Moreover, a 5.85-fold increase is achieved by combining Z0.5A with a microreactor compared to the film in a beaker. The photon localization effect of PVDF IO was further exemplified by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations. In conclusion, photonic crystal-microreactor enhanced photothermal catalysis has immense potential for alleviating the deteriorating water environment. (C) 2021, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

By constructing AB-PVDF inverse opal photonic crystal and introducing a microreactor, combined with slow light and photothermal effects, the photocatalytic efficiency was significantly enhanced. The enhanced photothermal catalysis by photonic crystal-microreactor has great potential for alleviating the deteriorating water environment.