Degradation and mechanism of microcystin-LR by PbCrO<sub>4</sub> nanorods driven by visible light

Journal article (2020)

Authors

G. Liu Sanitary Engineering - CEG , Harbin Institute of Technology
Guoqiang Zhang Shenzhen University
S. Zhang Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Yangsen Xu Shenzhen University
Xun Yang Zhengzhou University
X. Zhang Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Research Group
Sanitary Engineering (CEG) (TU Delft)
Photocatalysis Degradation and mechanism MC-LR PbCrO single crystal •OH radicals
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Water Management

Research Group

Sanitary Engineering

Abstract

This work focuses on the photocatalytic removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water treatment. Based on facile precipitation reaction, we fabricated a photocatalyst (PbCrO4) in single crystals that present evident response to visible light and employed the catalyst in the photocatalytic decomposition of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). In the degradation test using the nanorods with prepared PbCrO4 photocatalyst, a 100% removal efficiency (27 min reaction) and a kinetics constant of 0.1356 min−1 were achieved. Such a high performance of PbCrO4 in photocatalytic conversion of MC-LR was ascribed to its high carrier separation efficiency, positive valence band (VB) position, and good delocalization of VB and conduction band (CB). The test of electron spin-resonance resonance (ESR) demonstrated that excessive free [rad]OH radicals were produced during the PbCrO4 photocatalysis of MC-LR. The density functional theory (DFT) and LC/MS/MS technology were employed to ascertain the intermediates during the MC-LR photocatalytic degradation. The major intermediates were resulted from the attack of hydroxyl radicals to the ADDA side chains of MC-LR structure. This study provides a proof-of-concept strategy to develop effective photocatalysts to efficiently produce [rad]OH radicals for the visible-light induced photocatalytic degradation of MC-LR in water.