Environmental pollution and the energy crisis are pressing issues. The degradation of emerging pollutants like antibiotics and the development of clean energy sources are critical research areas. Photocatalytic degradation, with its rapid and complete mineralization, is widely used for antibiotic removal. Simultaneously, photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen evolution is a promising technology for efficient and clean hydrogen production. Transition metal selenides, with their narrow band gaps and high carrier mobilities, show great potential in both photocatalysis and PEC applications.
Methods
A MnSeₓ/FeSeₓ p-n heterojunction catalyst with double cation vacancies was fabricated via a one-step hydrothermal method followed by EDTA etching, by Prof. Jun Zhang's team at Hangzhou Dianzi University.
Highlights
Successful synthesis of a double cation vacancies MnSeₓ/FeSeₓ p-n heterojunction catalyst.
The MnSeₓ/FeSeₓ heterojunction exhibits a 423% enhancement in photocatalytic activity for the degradation of levofloxacin.
The MnSeₓ/FeSeₓ heterojunction demonstrates high photoelectrochemical activity, with a current density of -2.438 mA/cm² at 0 V vs RHE.
The heterojunction promotes the separation of photogenerated charge carriers, enhancing photocatalytic efficiency.
Vacancies act as active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction, improving PEC performance.
This research presents a novel approach for preparing multifunctional catalysts by combining heterojunctions and vacancies. The double cation vacancies MnSeₓ/FeSeₓ p-n heterojunction catalyst shows promise in both photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical applications. This study provides inspiration for the further development of stable and efficient photocatalysts.
Fig. 2. (a) Cycle degradation rate of levofloxacin and (b) relative degradation rate for MFS3; (c) XRD patterns; XPS results of (d) Mn 2p, (e) Fe 2p and (f) Se 3d of MFS3 and MFS3T after cycle degradation.
Authors
G. Lu, H. Yang, J. Zhang, B. Lin, J. Xu, Adjustable double cation vacancies MnSex/FeSex p-n heterojunction catalysts on improving multifunctional photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance, Separation and Purification Technology 355 (2025) 129642. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.129642.
