With the increasing global demand for food, a significant amount of organophosphorus pesticides is applied to farmland, leading to pollution as they are discharged into natural water bodies with agricultural runoff. This study employed a coupling approach, utilizing a 6:4 mass ratio of zirconium-based metal–organic framework UiO-66 and g-C3N4 through a grinding and annealing method to construct a Z-type heterojunction composite material named UG 6:4.
RESULTS
This material is employed for photocatalytic removal of the representative organophosphorus pesticide, dichlorvos (DDVP), from water and simultaneous in situ adsorption of its inorganic phosphorus byproducts. Results demonstrate that for initial DDVP concentrations below 5 mg L−1 (calculated as total phosphorus), both the mineralization rate under ultraviolet light irradiation with a wavelength of 365 nm and a power of 125 W and the adsorption rate of phosphorus were 100% when the pH was 6 and the UG 6:4 dosage was 0.2 g L−1. The sheet-like g-C3N4 tightly envelops the surface of UiO-66, forming a Z-scheme heterojunction. This structure imparts UG 6:4 with enhanced light absorption, faster generation and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs compared to individual UiO-66 or g-C3N4, and the establishment of an internal electric field suppresses the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology(JCTB) is an international, inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal concerned with the application of scientific discoveries and advancements in chemical and biological technology that aim towards economically and environmentally sustainable industrial processes.