Jointed Synchronous Photocatalytic Oxidation and Chromate Reduction Enabled by the Defect Distribution upon BiVO4: Mechanism Insight and Toxicity Assessment

Exploring active and ecological materials for the restoration of complex pollution system is highly desired. This study presents a facile defect-tailoring strategy for combined pollutants purification with BiVO4 photocatalysis in which the jointed synchronous reaction of oxidation and reduction is integrated instead of the sequential reaction in two individual systems. XPS and EPR reveal that BiVO4 with a suitable oxygen vacancies (OVs) concentration and distribution exhibits superior photocatalytic activity under the coexistence of TC-HCl and Cr(VI) with Cr(VI) reduction efficiency increased by 71 times compared with the individual Cr(VI) system along with TC-HCl removal efficiency comparable to a single TC-HCl system. The mechanism of synchronous redox reactions mediated by surface OVs is revealed by comprehensive characterization together with reaction kinetic analysis, and the electronic band structure adjustment induced by the OVs variation is confirmed. Active species identification tests and intermediate product analysis confirm that singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) accounts for the selective oxidation of TC-HCl, while electrons dominate the reduction of Cr(VI), under a coexistent environment. The influence of water quality parameters (e.g., pH, cations, anions, and organic substances) on the photocatalytic activity is investigated considering the complexity of the real aquatic environment. Importantly, toxicity assessment with Gram-negative strain E. coli as a model bacterium validates that the toxicity of the intermediates can be reduced to low or even ultralow levels. This work is dedicated to the mechanistic study of defect photocatalysis over BiVO4 and provides a jointed synchronous reaction system for combined pollutant purification.

Automated summary

This study presents a facile defect-tailoring strategy for combined pollutants purification using BiVO4 photocatalysis, achieving a synchronous oxidation and reduction reaction in a coexistent environment. Results show that surface oxygen vacancies mediate these synchronous reactions, enhancing the reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) and maintaining the removal efficiency of TC-HCl.