Tuning composition, and morphology of Sn-Sb-Bi based ternary oxide via carbon modification for wastewater treatment and supercapacitor applications

Water crisis is becoming unavoidable due to prevalent water pollution, the rapid depletion of freshwater resources, and accelerating demand. Effective and innovative steps are urgently needed to address the pollutants of emerging concerns (PECs), such as bisphenol A (Bp-A) from wastewater. Amongst various advanced treatment methods, photocatalysis stands out as a reliable and eco-friendly approach. Conversely, its practical applicability is often limited by low density active sites, rapid charge-carrier recombination, and poor visible-light absorption. To tackle these challenges, a ternary oxide (TO) comprising tin-antimony-bismuth was developed, which was further modified with carbon to acquire carbon modified ternary oxide (C@TO) nanocomposite, ensuring an increased number of active sites, suppressed charge-carrier recombination, and enhanced light absorption. The TO was synthesized via a facile one-pot method and further modified with carbon using water as green solvent. Different characterization tools such as XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, BET, FT-IR, UV-Vis, and PL were applied to get insight information of as-prepared photocatalysts. After characterization, the C@TO was utilized to degrade Bp-A and nearly 99% photocatalytic degradation was achieved. Scavenger’s studies disclosed that oxide radicals were the dominant reactive species responsible for Bp-A degradation. Further, the as-prepared photocatalyst also exhibited efficient degradation of Bp-A in the presence of co-contaminants, validating its broad applicability. Finally, electrochemical studies on both carbon modified and unmodified catalysts suggested promising charge-storage, and supercapacitor capabilities.