Assembling N-doped fullerene C60 grafted C-doped TiO2 nanohybrids with an exceptional piezo-photocatalytic performance
摘要
In this work, nitrogen-doped fullerene C60/carbon-doped TiO2 (N-C60/C-TiO2) hybrid photocatalysts were assembled via one-pot hydrothermal technique. The piezo-photocatalytic degradation efficiencies over synthesized xwt%-N-C60/C-TiO2 catalysts (x = 0.5 to 4) were explored toward norfloxacin (NOR). Under visible-light/ultrasonic conditions, the 2 wt%N-C60/C-TiO2 sample possesses higher catalytic performance, where the apparent NOR degradation rate reached 0.089 min− 1 (95.8% degradation efficiency after 60 min), which was 9.4 times that of C-TiO2. The boosted piezo-photocatalytic activity and high photostability of the N-C60/C-TiO2 hybrid are accredited to the photoexcited electron withdrawal by N-C60 on the C-TiO2 surface, supported by the electrical polarization state arising from C-TiO2. Moreover, the reaction mechanism was verified by performing trapping tests, which exhibited that •O2− and •OH radicals were the greatest effecting reaction species. These results highlight N-C60/C-TiO2 hybrids as operative and robust piezo-photocatalysts with durable prospects for sustainable treatment of pharmaceutical-contaminated wastewater.