Mg-Engineered Electronic Reconstruction and Dual Active Sites in SnO₂ for Durable Photocatalytic Toluene Mineralization.

Authors

Jiawei Niu, Yuhan Li, Youyu Duan, Yang Wang, Yifan Ma, Zeyong Meng, Anke Du, Peng Wu, Wenqi Ye, Xiaohong Liu, Silan Zhang, Bingxin Liu, Wei Zhang

Published in

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany). Pages e75862. Sep 23, 2026. Epub Sep 23, 2026.

Abstract

Photocatalyst deactivation remains a critical challenge for the practical application of photocatalytic air purification. Herein, a Mg²⁺-doped SnO₂ catalyst with dual active sites-Mg²⁺ dopants and oxygen vacancies (O_Vs) was synthesized via in situ Mg²⁺ introduction to address the severe deactivation of SnO₂ during toluene degradation, primarily caused by benzaldehyde accumulation. The Mg/SnO₂-5 catalyst reaches 95.77% of its photocatalytic activity over five consecutive cycles (335 min) and exhibits excellent long-term stability during continuous operation (720 min), far surpassing pristine SnO₂. Notably, this photocatalyst can also be synthesized from untreated bischofite, achieving a catalytic activity of up to 90%. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that: (i) Mg²⁺ doping induces electron localization, which is beneficial to inhibit charge recombination and promote deep mineralization of intermediates; (ii) increased active site density enhances toluene adsorption and conversion, reducing deactivation risks; and (iii) the modification lowers the Gibbs free energy barriers for both benzyl radical formation and the subsequent deep oxidation of benzaldehyde, thereby thermodynamically promoting ring-opening and mineralization, while preventing active-site blockage. These synergistic effects prevent active site blockage and ensure sustained photocatalytic activity. This work offers a viable strategy for designing stable and efficient photocatalysts against aromatic volatile organic compounds.

PMID:
42773977
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Sep 2026.

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