Boosted bisphenol A and Cr(VI) cleanup over Z-scheme WO3/MIL-100(Fe) composites under visible light

To develop a new efficient catalyst for contaminant removal and sustainable environment, series Z-scheme WO3/MIL-100(Fe) (MxWy) composites were easily prepared by ball-milling strategy, which were affirmed by various characterization techniques. All the as-prepared MxWy composites displayed superior photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction and photo-Fenton bisphenol A(BPA) degradation performances under LED visible light, in which the M80W120 could accomplish 100% Cr(VI) reduction via photocatalysis treatment within 60 min and 100% BPA degradation with the aid of photo-Fenton process in 20 min. The influences of different initial pH, co-existing foreign ions, low weight organic molecules and H2O2 dosage on photocatalytic/photo-Fenton performances were clarified. Moreover, M80W120 displayed outstanding stability and reusability during five successive cycling experiments on Cr(VI) sequestration and BPA degradation, respectively. Also, the possible degradation pathway of BPA degradation over M80W120 was clarified. Finally, a Z-scheme mechanism was put forward, which was further confirmed by active species capture, photo-deposition of PbO2 along with electron spin-resonance spectroscopy determination. The combination of MIL-100(Fe) and WO3 was confirmed to be an effective strategy for pollutant removal and cleaner production.