Photocatalytic Inactivation of <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i> Using MoS ₂ @Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework/TiO ₂ : A Hybrid Catalyst for Efficient Control of Harmful Algal Blooms

Lake eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs) have emerged as paramount concerns in the global aquatic environment. Microcystis aeruginosa is a kind of common harmful algae in fresh water. In this study, the surface of TiO 2 was modified by incorporating molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67), resulting in the formation of a novel titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) photocatalyst (MoS 2 @ZIF-67/TiO 2 ). MoS 2 @ZIF-67/TiO 2 photocatalyst was also used to investigate the inactivation of M. aeruginosa under visible light. After doping with MoS 2 @ZIF-67, the energy bandgap of MoS 2 @ZIF-67/TiO 2 was reduced to 2.4 eV, while exhibiting an increase in the average pore diameter. The inactivation efficiency of 10% MoS 2 @ZIF-67/TiO 2 composite photocatalyst for M. aeruginosa was 86.08%. The content of photosynthetic pigment, soluble protein, and various antioxidant indexes also continued to decline during the experiment, dropping to the lowest level on the fifth day. Based on the comprehensive data analysis, it was evident that the 1030% MoS 2 @ZIF-67/TiO 2 photocatalyst exhibited remarkable potential for advancements in the realm of photocatalytic algae removal and mitigation of HABs.