H2O2-assisted photocatalysis induced by SPR of BiQDs anchored on BiVO4 for the production of hydroxyl radicals in seawater

Ballast water is an essential component of nautical navigation, however, the microorganisms present in the water may be an environmental hazard. Therefore, the decontamination of ballast water has been widely studied. The anchoring of metal nanoparticles with plasmonic properties into semiconductors is an effective way to enhance their photocatalytic activity for the inactivation of marine microorganisms in ballast water. In this paper, we describe the successful synthesis of BiQDs/BiVO4 via a facile solvothermal method and evaluated their capacity to inactivate marine microorganisms under visible light irradiation. The results showed that 3%BiQDs/BiVO4 exhibited greatest photocatalytic sterilization efficiency with the low concentration of H2O2 present in real seawater. Further results revealed that the BiQDs had a diameter of approximately 5.1 nm and were distributed randomly on BiVO4, and that the SPR effect of BiQDs enhanced the utilization of visible light. The hydroxyl radical was proven to be the main active species and the addition of H2O2 promoted the generation of ·OH to achieve the efficient decontamination of ballast water. This study may provide a potential route for the photocatalytic removal of marine microorganisms and ballast water tank protection.