Enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance of SrSO4/TiO2 heterostructures: Interface engineering for water oxidation and pollutant degradation

Funding Sponsor

National Research Centre

Author's Department

Physics Department

Fifth Author's Department

Energy Materials Laboratory

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtener.2025.101857

All Authors

Hala T. Handal Aiat Hegazy Nourhan M. Deyab Maged A. Azzam Nageh Allam

Document Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Materials Today Energy

Publication Date

6-1-2025

doi

10.1016/j.mtener.2025.101857

Abstract

Doping and heterojunction construction are effective strategies for improving photocatalytic performance and extending light absorption into the visible range. In this study, Mg- and Sr-doped TiO2 samples are synthesized using a hydrothermal-assisted sol-gel method. The incorporation of alkaline earth metals into the TiO2 lattice is restricted, leading to heterostructure formation, as confirmed by structural, optical, and morphological analyses. The photo- and electrocatalytic properties of these catalysts are tested in 1M KOH. Among the tested materials, 5 wt% SrSO4/TiO2 (TSr) exhibits the highest photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation under solar light. TSr also demonstrates the highest kinetic rate constant for methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV light in both acidic and neutral media, along with remarkable efficiency in tetracycline (TC) removal. The enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance is attributed to interface engineering, which improves electrical conductivity, optimizes oxygen vacancies, and fine-tunes surface adsorption and desorption properties. Flat band potentials and donor concentrations are evaluated using Mott-Schottky analysis.

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