Decomposition of microplastics using copper oxide/bismuth vanadate-based photocatalysts: Insight mechanisms and environmental impacts.

To mitigate marine pollution, we improved the photo-Fenton reaction of modified nanoscale CuO/BiVO4 photocatalysts to resolve the challenge of efficient microplastic degradation in wastewater treatment. Material property analysis and computational results revealed that deposition of CuO onto BiVO4 nanocomposites improved photocatalytic activity by promoting an excess of electrons in CuO and surface charge transfer, resulting in an increased production of e--h+ for ROS generation via H2O2 activation. 1O2 was dominated and identified through quenching experiments, XPS analysis, and EPR. ROS generation increased via H2O2 activation, causing major surface abrasion and increased carbonyl and vinyl indices in microplastics. Treated water had minimal impact on Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. seedling growth but caused considerable mortality in cell lines and Moina macrocopa mortality at greater dosages due to their sensitivity to ions and H2O2 residuals. Overall, this treatment can effectively degrade microplastics, but the dilution of treated water is still needed before being discharged.

Compensation in Al-doped ZnO by Al-related acceptor complexes: synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy and theory.

The synchrotron x-ray absorption near edge structures (XANES) technique was used in conjunction with first-principles calculations to characterize Al-doped ZnO films. Standard characterizations revealed that the amount of carrier concentration and mobility depend on the growth conditions, i.e. H(2) (or O(2))/Ar gas ratio and Al concentration. First-principles calculations showed that Al energetically prefers to substitute on the Zn site, forming a donor Al(Zn), over being an interstitial (Al(i)). The measured Al K-edge XANES spectra are in good agreement with the simulated spectra of Al(Zn), indicating that the majority of Al atoms are substituting for Zn. The reduction in carrier concentration or mobility in some samples can be attributed to the Al(Zn)-V(Zn) and 2Al(Zn)-V(Zn) complex formations that have similar XANES features. In addition, XANES of some samples showed additional features that are the indication of some α-Al(2)O(3) or nAl(Zn)-O(i) formation, explaining their poorer conductivity.