Synthesis of Rape Pollen-Fe₂O₃ Biohybrid Catalyst and Its Application on Photocatalytic Degradation and Antibacterial Properties

Abstract

The efficient biohybrid photocatalysts were prepared with different weight ratios of Fe2O3 and treated rape pollen (TRP). The synthesized samples were characterized by different analytical techniques. The results showed that carbonized rape pollen had a three-dimensional skeleton and granular Fe2O3 uniformly covered the surface of TRP. The Fe2O3/TRP samples were used for degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) and Escherichia Coli (E. coli) disinfection in water under visible light. The degradation of MB and inactivation of E. coli was achieved to 93.7% in 300 min and 99.14% in 100 min, respectively. We also explored the mechanism during the reaction process, where reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals play a major role throughout the reaction process. This work provides new ideas for the preparation of high-performance photocatalysts by combining semiconductors with earth-abundant biomaterials.

Keywords

• rape pollen
• biohybrid materials
• antibacterial
• Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles
• photocatalysts