Band‐Engineered ZnWOs <sub>4</sub> @Ni‐BiOCl Z‐Scheme Heterojunction for Synergistic Visible Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Detoxification, Attenuation of Ecotoxicity, and Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Sensing of Tetracycline

The rational design of Z‐scheme heterojunctions presents a robust approach for comprehensive environmental remediation through simultaneous pollutant detection and degradation. In this study, a hierarchical Z‐scheme heterostructure ZnWO 4 @Ni‐BiOCl (ZW@Ni‐BOC) was synthesized by in situ anchoring of nickel‐doped bismuth oxychloride (Ni‐BOC) nanoflakes onto zinc tungstate (ZW) nanorods. High‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) confirmed tightly connected interfaces, while the optimized 1.5:1 ZW@Ni‐BOC exhibited superior charge separation, broadened visible‐light absorption, and a high density of surface‐active sites. When configured on a glassy carbon electrode, ZW@Ni‐BOC served as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for tetracycline (TC), delivering sensitivity of 11.66 μA μM −1 cm −2 , detection limit of 0.66 nM, and broad linear response range. The composite also achieved rapid photocatalytic degradation of TC, Rhodamine B, and chlorpyrifos under visible light. Mechanistic analysis using UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and radical scavenger tests confirmed the Z‐scheme charge transfer mode, supported by Liquid chromatography Mass spectrometery‐based product identification. Quantitative structure activity relationship toxicity modeling revealed marked toxicity reduction of intermediates, and antibacterial assays showed full inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 60 min of irradiation. This work highlights ZW@Ni‐BOC as a multifunctional, scalable nanoplatform enabling integrated sensing, catalytic detoxification, toxicity mitigation, and microbial disinfection.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Small Structures
Published
2025-10-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202500655
Primary Topic
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Band‐Engineered ZnWOs 4 @Ni‐BiOCl Z‐Scheme Heterojunction for Synergistic Visible Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Detoxification, Attenuation of Ecotoxicity, and Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Sensing of Tetracycline

Ganga Ram Chaudhary, Prerna Attri, Dong‐Kwon Lim, Moondeep Chauhan et al.
Small Structures
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
article

Band‐Engineered ZnWOs 4 @Ni‐BiOCl Z‐Scheme Heterojunction for Synergistic Visible Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Detoxification, Attenuation of Ecotoxicity, and Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Sensing of Tetracycline

Ganga Ram Chaudhary, Prerna Attri, Dong‐Kwon Lim, Moondeep Chauhan, Sonu Sarraf, Sahil Kapoor, Aviru Kumar Basu, Sandeep Kumar, Preeti Garg
article en

Abstract

The rational design of Z‐scheme heterojunctions presents a robust approach for comprehensive environmental remediation through simultaneous pollutant detection and degradation. In this study, a hierarchical Z‐scheme heterostructure ZnWO 4 @Ni‐BiOCl (ZW@Ni‐BOC) was synthesized by in situ anchoring of nickel‐doped bismuth oxychloride (Ni‐BOC) nanoflakes onto zinc tungstate (ZW) nanorods. High‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) confirmed tightly connected interfaces, while the optimized 1.5:1 ZW@Ni‐BOC exhibited superior charge separation, broadened visible‐light absorption, and a high density of surface‐active sites. When configured on a glassy carbon electrode, ZW@Ni‐BOC served as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for tetracycline (TC), delivering sensitivity of 11.66 μA μM −1 cm −2 , detection limit of 0.66 nM, and broad linear response range. The composite also achieved rapid photocatalytic degradation of TC, Rhodamine B, and chlorpyrifos under visible light. Mechanistic analysis using UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and radical scavenger tests confirmed the Z‐scheme charge transfer mode, supported by Liquid chromatography Mass spectrometery‐based product identification. Quantitative structure activity relationship toxicity modeling revealed marked toxicity reduction of intermediates, and antibacterial assays showed full inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 60 min of irradiation. This work highlights ZW@Ni‐BOC as a multifunctional, scalable nanoplatform enabling integrated sensing, catalytic detoxification, toxicity mitigation, and microbial disinfection.

Small StructuresVol. 6(12)
Korea University (KR), Institute of Chemical Engineering (PL), Quantum Devices (United States) (US), Amity University (AE), Panjab University (IN), Punjab Engineering College (IN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 80%
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.