Plasmonic nanoparticle enhanced heterojunction

ongoing

Water pollution has become a critical global challenge with serious environmental and health consequences, driven by rapid industrialization, poor waste management, and ineffective sewage systems. Addressing this critical issue requires innovative and efficient water treatment technologies. Among such technologies, photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) combines photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, showing great promise for pollutant degradation. While PEC has primarily been explored for hydrogen production, its application in water decontamination is increasingly important, highlighting the need for advanced materials to enhance PEC performance. BiVO4, a well-studied n-type semiconductor, offers potential for PEC due to its narrow band gap and low cost. However, its performance is limited by poor charge separation and high recombination rates. To overcome these challenges, this project focuses on developing a CuO/BiVO4 heterojunction, which improves charge separation through the creation of a p-n junction, leading to enhanced photocatalytic performance. The inclusion of plasmonic nanoparticles, especially gold (Au), will further improve PEC activity by increasing light absorption, boosting charge transfer, and facilitating more efficient redox reactions, resulting in effective pollutant degradation. Synthesis challenges, such as scalability and purity, will be tackled using pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL), an environment-friendly and efficient technique for fabricating nanomaterials. PLAL offers advantages in controlling nanoparticle size, ensuring strong interfacial contact, and producing high-quality materials. Through the development of a plasmonic nanoparticle-enhanced CuO/BiVO4 heterojunction for PEC pollutant degradation, this project aims to deliver a scalable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable solution for water purification, contributing to cleaner water and a healthier planet.