Facet-Dependent Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄(110)/BiVO₄(010)/Fe₂O₃ Dual S-Scheme Photocatalyst as an Efficient Visible-Light-Driven...

A lack of eco-friendly, highly active photocatalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and unclear environmental risks are significant challenges. Herein, we developed a double S-scheme Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄(110)/BiVO₄(010)/Fe₂O₃ photocatalyst to activate PMS and investigated its impact on wheat seed germination. We observed an improvement in charge separation by depositing Fe₂O₃ on the (010) and (110) surfaces of BiVO₄. This enhancement is attributed to the formation of a dual S-scheme charge transfer mechanism at the interfaces of Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄(110) and BiVO₄(010)/Fe₂O₃. By introducing PMS into the system, photogenerated electrons effectively activate PMS, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and sulfate radicals (SO₄^·-). Among the tested systems, the 20% Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄/Vis/PMS system exhibits the highest catalytic efficiency for norfloxacin (NOR) removal, reaching 95% in 40 min. This is twice the catalytic efficiency of the Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄/PMS system, 1.8 times that of the Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ system, and 5 times that of the BiVO₄ system. Seed germination experiments revealed that Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction was beneficial for wheat seed germination, while PMS had a significant negative effect. This study provides valuable insights into the development of efficient and sustainable photocatalytic systems for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.