Enhancing dichromate transport and reduction via electric fields induced by photocatalysis.

Authors

Chen Chen, Siyu Zhao, Bingming Zhou, Changqing Ye, Baojiang Jiang, Liping Zhang

Published in

iScience. Volume 28. Issue 5. Pages 112327. May 16, 2025. Epub Mar 31, 2025.

Abstract

Mass transport is a fundamental yet often overlooked factor in influencing adsorption and photocatalytic reaction kinetics. This study examines the role of mass transport using the model system of monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) films and potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) in a representative photocatalytic reaction. We show that diffusion-driven delivery of K₂Cr₂O₇ to the BiVO₄ surface increases adsorption capacity but decreases the adsorption rate constant. Notably, during the model photocatalytic reduction, long-range electric fields were observed around the illuminated BiVO₄ films, a phenomenon also confirmed in a separate reaction system using TiO₂ as the photocatalyst. These electric fields, distinct from the localized fields formed within heterojunctions, enhance dichromate transport by more than three orders of magnitude. This enhanced transport ensures a continuous supply of reactant to the photocatalyst, significantly improving reaction efficiency without additional energy input. These findings introduce a new strategy for optimizing photocatalytic processes, offering broad insights for advancing sustainable chemical engineering applications.

PMID:
40276773
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Apr 2025.

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