Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
One-Dimensional/Two-Dimensional Core-Shell-Structured Bi2O4/BiO2- x Heterojunction for Highly Efficient Broad
Jun Li1, Yuan Li1, Gaoke Zhang1
1Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures , Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road , Wuhan 430070 , China.
Abstract:
Deliberate tuning of nanoparticles encapsulated with nanosheet shells can bring about fascinating photocatalytic properties because of the fast charge-transfer characteristics of a nanosized core-shell structure. Herein, a novel core-shell-structured Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite was fabricated through a one-step hydrothermal method. The core-shell Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite presented distinct optical absorption property, including UV, visible, and near-infrared (NIR) light regions. Compared to Bi2O4 and BiO2- x, the Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite revealed improved broad spectrum light-responsive molecular oxygen activation into •O2-, especially achieving •O2- generation under NIR light irradiation. The achievement that enhanced broad spectrum light-activated molecular oxygen activation could be ascribed to the faster electron transfer confirmed by the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, photoelectrochemical test, and quantitative analysis of •O2-. The strong interface effect of the Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Density functional theory calculated results suggested that the Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite revealed increased density of states near the Fermi level, suggesting that it possessed higher carrier mobility as compared to Bi2O4 and BiO2- x, contributing to the faster separation of photoinduced carriers and the generation of •O2-. Benefiting to the heterojunction, the Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite showed improved photocatalytic activity and anti-photocorrosion activity during rhodamine B (RhB) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation with the irradiation of UV, visible, and NIR lights. Besides, the possible photocatalytic mechanism and transformation pathway of RhB and CIP degradation by the Bi2O4/BiO2- x composite were proposed by the analyses of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study furnishes a new strategy for fabricating high-efficient and broad spectrum light-driven heterojunction photocatalysts for environment purification.
More Related Videos
09:22Synthesis and Performance Evaluations of ZnCoS/ZnCdS with Twin Crystal Structure for Multifunctional Redox Photocatalysis in Energy Applications
Published on: July 25, 2025
09:43Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Dimensional Analysis
Conversion Factors and Dimensional Analysis
The unit...
Dimensional Analysis
In fluid mechanics, dimensional...
Dimensional Analysis
Dimensional analysis allows us to analyze and compare physical quantities on a...
The Nucleosome Core Particle
The paradox
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their main responsibility is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. While on the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access DNA...
Acid Strength and Molecular Structure
In the absence of any leveling effect, the acid strength of binary compounds of hydrogen with nonmetals (A) increases as the H-A bond strength decreases down a group in the periodic table. For group 17, the order of increasing acidity is HF < HCl < HBr < HI. Likewise, for group 16, the order of increasing acid strength is H2O < H2S < H2Se < H2Te. Across a row in the periodic table, the acid strength of binary hydrogen compounds increases with increasing...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...