Ultrafast Photocatalytic Degradation Enabled by Atomically Dispersed Ag on BiOIO3 Nanosheets: Unraveling Synergistic Photo-Thermal-Ferroelectric Effects

Abstract

Wastewater pollution, particularly from organic dyes, represents a serious environmental threat with significant risks to human health. The utilization of solar-driven photo-thermal catalytic degradation presents a highly promising and sustainable approach for wastewater treatment. However, the efficiency and degradation rate remain significant challenges. In this work, we present a multi-energy synergistic strategy that integrates the ferroelectric effect to enhance the photo-thermal catalytic process. This approach is realized by atomically dispersing silver (Ag) single atoms onto BiOIO3 nanosheets, which are characterized by their exceptional ferroelectric properties. The Ag_BiOIO3 photocatalyst finally achieves ultrafast degradation of various pollutants, including complete removal of rhodamine B (RhB) within six minutes and efficient degradation of tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) under both laboratory and outdoor conditions. Furthermore, it also demonstrates excellent cycling stability in recyclability test. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Ag incorporation reduces the band gap of BiOIO3, broadening the light absorption range for improved solar energy harvesting. Additionally, the formation of intermediate energy levels through the interaction of O 2p and Ag 4d orbitals facilitates efficient electron transfer, acting as an intermediate energy springboard. This work presents an innovative strategy for synergistic photocatalysis and provides valuable insights for environmental remediation applications.