Cotton-derived 3D carbon fiber aerogel to in situ support Bi2O3 nanoparticles as a separation-free photocatalyst for antibiotic removal. (5th January 2023) - Zhang, Peng
Abstract: Because of abundant oxygen-based groups, natural cotton is adopted as the precursor to in situ fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) Bi2 O3 -supported carbon fiber aerogel (Bi2 O3 /CF). The calcination temperature plays an important role in the crystal composition of Bi species and the specific surface area of the aerogel. When the calcination temperature is 800 °C, the Bi2 O3 /CF product exhibits the highest tetracycline (TC) removal efficiency, including large adsorbability and superior photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, its 3D porous network architecture provides a multidimensional open framework for the free mobility of solution and rapid diffusion of reactants and products. In the flowing system, the 3D Bi2 O3 /CF aerogel can implement the continuous and stable elimination of pollutants for a long time, and it does not require any separation operation. Consequently, the 3D Bi2 O3 /CF aerogel is expected as a promising functional material to massively remove organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. Graphical abstract: Cotton is utilized to in-situ synthesize the 3D Bi2 O3 -supported carbon fiber aerogel to continuously remove tetracycline in a flowing system. Image 1