BiO2-x@Fe nanospheres for enhanced degradation and antibacterial performances using synergistic photocatalysis and Fenton effect

Bi 2 O 3 -based photocatalytic materials exhibit significant potential for pollutant and bacterial removal. However, their practical application in efficient water treatment is hindered by two key challenges, including an insufficient suppression of photogenerated carrier recombination and a narrow bandgap that restricts light absorption to low-density wavelengths. Additionally, while the Fenton reaction enhances catalytic activity, its effectiveness is compromised by iron sludge formation resulting from the rapid release of iron ions. In this work, BiO 2-x @Fe nanospheres were successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method, integrating synergistic photocatalytic and Fenton-like activities. These nanospheres demonstrate exceptional performance in simultaneous bacterial inactivation and organic pollutant degradation under light irradiation . The strategic introduction of defect-rich active sites and surface hybrid architectures effectively suppresses photogenerated carrier recombination while retarding iron ion release kinetics, thereby enabling superior catalytic performance. This dual-functional system, integrating enhanced photocatalytic oxidation and Fenton-driven antibacterial mechanisms, achieves near-complete bacterial inactivation and efficient organic pollutant degradation under visible light irradiation. The synergistic interaction between photocatalysis and Fenton chemistry demonstrates exceptional potential for rapid, high-efficiency water purification applications.