Enhanced desulfurization performance of model fuel by Cu-ZnO/TiO₂ heterostructure

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Oxidative desulfurization is crucial for removing sulfur compounds from fuels.
• Developing efficient and stable photocatalysts is essential for environmental remediation.
• Z-heterojunctions offer potential for enhanced charge separation in photocatalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel Cu-ZnO/TiO2 Z-heterojunction with abundant defects.
• To evaluate its performance in the oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT).
• To investigate the relationship between material defects, structure, and photocatalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Facile hydrothermal synthesis of Cu-ZnO/TiO2 Z-heterojunction.
• Characterization of material properties, including defect density and energy levels.
• Photocatalytic degradation experiments for DBT removal under simulated sunlight.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Cu-ZnO/TiO2 Z-heterojunction exhibited a high density of defects.
• Optimized 7.5%Cu-ZnO/TiO2 achieved 88.12% DBT removal efficiency within 240 minutes.
• The composite demonstrated excellent stability and reusability over 5 cycles.
• Enhanced photocatalytic activity was linked to high light absorption and well-matched energy levels due to defects.

Conclusions:

• The defect-rich Cu-ZnO/TiO2 Z-heterojunction is a highly effective photocatalyst for oxidative desulfurization.
• The Z-heterojunction structure facilitates efficient separation and transfer of photo-generated charge carriers.
• Material defects play a significant role in enhancing photocatalytic performance by improving light absorption and charge dynamics.