Ferrocenylselenoether and its cuprous cluster modified TiO 2 as visible-light photocatalyst for the synergistic transformation of N-cyclic organics and Cr(vi).

In this study, fcSe@TiO 2 and [Cu 2 I 2 (fcSe) 2 ] n @TiO 2 nanosystems based on ferrocenylselenoether and its cuprous cluster were developed and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Under optimized conditions, 0.2 g L -1 catalyst, 20 mM H 2 O 2 , and initial pH 7, good synergistic visible light photocatalytic tetracycline degradation and Cr(vi) reduction were achieved, with 92.1% of tetracycline and 64.5% of Cr(vi) removal efficiency within 30 minutes. Mechanistic studies revealed that the reactive species ˙OH, ˙O 2 - , and h + were produced in both systems through the mutual promotion of Fenton reactions and photogenerated charge separation. The [Cu 2 I 2 (fcSe) 2 ] n @TiO 2 system additionally produced 1 O 2 from Cu + and ˙O 2 - . The advantages of the developed nanosystems include an acidic surface microenvironment provided by Se⋯H + , resourceful product formation, tolerance of complex environments, and excellent adaptability in refractory N-cyclic organics.