Photothermal catalysis driven by defect-engineered Mn-doped V₂O₅ for efficient rhodamine B degradation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a promising semiconductor photocatalyst.
• Rhodamine B (RhB) is a common organic pollutant.
• Photothermal catalysis offers enhanced reaction rates and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate Mn-modified V2O5 catalysts for RhB degradation.
• To investigate the mechanism of photothermal catalytic degradation.
• To understand the role of defect-induced states and active species.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel synthesis of Mn-modified V2O5.
• Photothermal catalytic degradation experiments using Rhodamine B.
• Band structure analysis and free radical trapping experiments.

Main Results:

• The optimal Mn0.03-V2O5 catalyst achieved complete RhB degradation in 40 min (k = 0.12229 min-1).
• Superoxide radicals (•O2-) were identified as the primary active species.
• Defect-induced localized states and photothermal effects enhanced •O2- generation.

Conclusions:

• Mn-modified V2O5 exhibits excellent photothermal catalytic activity for RhB degradation.
• Defect engineering and photothermal synergy are key to catalyst performance.
• This work provides insights for designing advanced metal oxide photothermal catalysts.