The synergistic photocatalytic Fenton reaction is a powerful advanced
oxidation technique for the degradation of persistent organic pollutants.
However, microwave-induced thermal effects on the formation of novel
structures facilitating the photocatalytic degradation have been rarely
reported. Herein, a two-step microwave thermal strategy was developed
to synthesize a new hybrid catalyst comprising defective WO3–x
nanowires coupled with reduced graphene oxides (rGOs).
Conventionally, microwave methods could induce superhot spots on the
GO surface, resulting in the site-specific crystallization and oriented
growth of WO3. However, in the solid phase, localized microwave
thermal effects could reduce the interfacial area between WO3 and rGO and enhance the bonding between them. As for the unique
structure and surface properties, the synthesized catalyst enhanced
the light absorption, promoted the interfacial charge separation,
and increased the carrier density in the photocatalytic processes.
In addition, surface formation of W4+ provided a new pathway
for Fe3+/Fe2+ cycling which linked the photocatalytic
reaction and the Fenton process. The optimized catalyst exhibited
a remarkable performance in the degradation of bisphenol A with a
∼83% removal yield via a photo-Fenton route. These microwave-induced
functionalities of materials for synergistic reactions could also
give a new avenue to other photoelectrocatalytic fields and solar
cells.
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