Photoelectrocatalytic activated persulfate degradation of organic contaminants by Ag3PO4/NiFe@Ni electrode

Ag 3 PO 4 /NiFe@Ni composites were obtained by depositing silver phosphate on nickel–iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH), is based on nickel flakes via two distinct methods: hydrothermal and successive ionic layer adsorption (SILAR). The electrode was used as a photoanode to remove Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) from wastewater and to facilitate the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) breakdown of organic pollutants. In addition, the degrading efficiency of Tetracycline (TC) and rhodamine B was further enhanced by activating persulfate (PMS) during the PEC process. The Ag 3 PO 4 /NiFe@Ni electrode’s effective catalytic activity is mostly ascribed to Ag 3 PO 4 ’s visible light activity as well as the construction of a Z-scheme heterojunction, it enhances the efficiency of e − and h + (holes) separation and speeds up electron transport. The free radical trapping process revealed that multiple free radicals combined to achieve an efficient degradation of the pollutants. The PEC process activated PMS degraded 92 % of TC within 60 min, in which the oxidation of h + was critically important. This study provides insights to design of multifunctional low-cost Z-scheme heterojunctions and broadens the application scope of photoelectrocatalytic technology.