Surface functional groups of photocatalysts play a key role in the transfer of photogenerated carriers and the active site of the reaction, which severely influence the photocatalytic conversion process. Therefore, reasonable and accurate regulation of surface groups can greatly optimize photocatalytic performance. Herein, we performed optimization on the unpolymerized NH₂ group of carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) by introducing an ethyl group with a strong electron-donating ability to obtain the E-CN photocatalysts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the successful embedding of the ethyl group. Time-resolved spectroscopy and density function theory calculations verified that the photogenerated carrier changes in a favorable direction. Finally, the Gibbs free energy showed that E-CN significantly decreases the energy barrier of CO₂ conversion to *COOH. The results revealed that the conversion rate of CO₂ to CO is 47.08 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹. This work offers a reliable reference to improve the performance of photocatalysts by optimizing their surface functional groups.

Non-expensive CaMnO₃ perovskite oxide can assist in developing efficient g-C₃N₄-based photocatalysts aimed at removing antibiotics from wastewater.

Photocatalytic processes have emerged as an efficacious strategy for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater. In the present investigation, a BiVO₄ nanorod supported on Bi₂O₂S nanosheet catalyst (referred to as BiVO₄/Bi₂O₂S) was meticulously synthesized via a straightforward synthetic approach, aimed explicitly at the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC). The optimized BiVO₄/Bi₂O₂S composite, with a theoretical weight ratio of BiVO₄ to Bi₂O₂S at 2:1 (designated as 2BVO/BOS), demonstrated a significant improvement in tetracycline degradation efficiency, achieving up to 82.9% under visible light irradiation for 90 min. This result stands in stark contrast to the relatively low degradation rates of 42.9% and 50.7% observed for pure BiVO₄ and Bi₂O₂S, respectively. Furthermore, the apparent reaction rate of 2BVO/BOS (approximately 0.01894 min⁻¹) was 3.19-fold and 2.66-fold higher than those of BiVO₄ (0.00594 min⁻¹) and Bi₂O₂S (0.00713 min⁻¹), respectively. This significant improvement in photocatalytic efficacy can be ascribed to the composite’s superior capacity for visible light absorption, as well as its remarkable proficiency in charge carrier separation and transfer. Comprehensive experimental analyses, corroborated by extensive characterization techniques, revealed the formation of a distinctive S-scheme charge transfer mechanism at the interface between BiVO₄ and Bi₂O₂S. This mechanism effectively suppresses charge recombination and optimizes the redox potentials of the photogenerated carriers, thereby enhancing the overall photocatalytic performance. The current study underscores the remarkable potential and promising application of BiVO₄/Bi₂O₂S composite in the realm of wastewater treatment.

Alkali-metals-poisoned Pd-SSZ-13 catalyst can be regenerated by a simple NH ₄ Cl washing procedure.

Passive NO_x adsorber (PNA) based on palladium-loaded small-pore SSZ-13 zeolite (Pd-SSZ-13) is attractive for mitigating cold-start NO_x emissions from lean-burn engines, but its practical deployment is hampered by susceptibility to chemical poisons—most notably phosphorus (P) poisoning present in vehicle exhaust. In this work, cerium (Ce) is introduced for the first time as a promoter to enhance the P-tolerance of Pd-SSZ-13. Activity measurements show that, after exposure to P-containing conditions, the Ce-doped catalyst adsorbs ~47.9 µmol/g of NO_x, which is markedly higher than that of the unmodified counterpart (~39.9 µmol/g). Comprehensive characterization (in situ DRIFTS, in situ UV-Vis, XPS, HAADF-STEM, and H₂-TPR) reveals that Ce incorporation stabilizes the framework aluminum associated with Brønsted acid sites and markedly suppresses the deleterious interaction between P and active Pd²⁺ species, thereby attenuating P-induced deactivation. These findings demonstrate that Ce not only improves resistance of Pd-SSZ-13 to P poisoning but also extends its robustness toward other common poisons (e.g., alkali metals, sulfur species). Consequently, Ce-modified Pd-SSZ-13 emerges as a promising strategy for durable PNA catalysts in real-world exhaust after-treatment systems.