Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • The CNFs@BWO/ZIS nanomembrane achieves 94.4% degradation of methylene blue (MB) under solar irradiation within 120 min, with a rate constant k = 0.01664 min−1, demonstrating high efficiency for industrial dye removal. • • The membrane exhibits a Young's modulus of 20.38 MPa and toughness of 2.48 kJ/m3 under wet conditions, ensuring mechanical robustness for practical water treatment applications. • • Stabilization kinetics are accelerated 10-fold (1°C/min), leading to significant energy savings during membrane fabrication, which is critical for scalable production. • • The membrane maintains excellent recyclability over five successive degradation cycles, confirming its operational stability and cost-effectiveness for long-term use.
Abstract
Sustainable bio-sourced functional materials are pivotal for advancing wastewater treatment technologies. This study reports a lignin-based carbon nanofiber (CNF) scaffold engineered with a Bi2WO6 (BWO) and ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) Z-scheme heterojunction via coaxial electrospinning and hydrothermal synthesis. The resulting all-component photocatalytic nanomembrane exhibits superior mechanical robustness under wet conditions, with a Young's modulus of 20.38 MPa and toughness of 2.48 kJ/m3. Stabilization kinetics are accelerated 10-fold (1°C/min), yielding significant energy savings. Using methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant, the CNFs@BWO/ZIS membrane achieves 94.4% degradation efficiency (k = 0.01664 min−1) after 120 min of solar irradiation, maintaining excellent recyclability over five successive cycles. Systematic mechanistic studies elucidate the Z-scheme charge-transfer pathway, which optimizes interfacial photoexcited carrier separation and reduces energy loss. This work demonstrates a sustainable biomass-derived photocatalytic system with high mechanical integrity and catalytic performance, offering a viable route for efficient wastewater treatment and contributing to carbon neutrality goals.
1. Introduction
Methylene blue (MB), a representative nitrogen-based dye, poses a significant environmental threat due to its photostability and chemical inertness, making its removal from industrial effluents challenging. Conventional wastewater treatment methods often fall short in efficiency and sustainability. Heterogeneous photocatalysis, utilizing solar irradiation, offers a promising alternative by generating electron-hole pairs that drive redox reactions. However, the practical application of semiconductor photocatalysts is hindered by limitations such as wide band gaps, rapid charge recombination, and poor mechanical stability in aqueous environments.
This study addresses these bottlenecks by integrating two visible-light-responsive semiconductors, Bi2WO6 (BWO) and ZnIn2S4 (ZIS), into a Z-scheme heterojunction supported on lignin-based carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The coaxial electrospinning and hydrothermal synthesis preserve the fibrous skeleton, yielding a mechanically robust membrane with enhanced charge separation and extended spectral response. This design not only improves photocatalytic degradation efficiency but also ensures cyclability and mechanical integrity under wet conditions, offering a scalable and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.
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CHEN Jiayue, ZHOU Zhou, LUO Weili, YUE Yiying (2026). Lignin-Based Carbon Nanofibrous Scaffold: Constructing a Mechanically Robust Bi2WO6/ZnIn2S4 Z-Scheme Heterojunction Membrane for Enhanced Pollutant Degradation and Stable Cyclability. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3990-6
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mechanical failure threshold of the CNFs@BWO/ZIS membrane under continuous stirring or flow conditions?
The membrane exhibits a Young's modulus of 20.38 MPa and toughness of 2.48 kJ/m3 under wet conditions, indicating high resistance to deformation and fracture. This suggests it can withstand typical hydrodynamic stresses in stirred reactors or cross-flow filtration systems without structural failure.
How does the Z-scheme heterojunction enhance charge separation compared to individual BWO or ZIS?
The Z-scheme configuration facilitates spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, reducing recombination. This is evidenced by the high degradation efficiency (94.4% for MB) and rate constant (k = 0.01664 min−1), which are superior to those of pristine BWO or ZIS under similar conditions.
What is the energy consumption during the stabilization process, and how does the 10-fold acceleration impact production costs?
The stabilization kinetics are accelerated to 1°C/min, representing a 10-fold increase over conventional rates. This reduces thermal treatment time and energy consumption, directly lowering manufacturing costs and enhancing scalability.
What is the long-term operational stability of the membrane beyond five cycles?
The study demonstrates excellent recyclability over five successive cycles with no significant loss in degradation efficiency. This indicates robust structural and chemical stability, suggesting potential for extended use, though further long-term studies are needed to assess performance over hundreds of cycles.
How does the membrane's performance compare to other reported photocatalytic systems for MB degradation?
The CNFs@BWO/ZIS membrane achieves 94.4% degradation in 120 min with a rate constant of 0.01664 min−1. This performance is competitive with or superior to many reported Bi2WO6- or ZnIn2S4-based systems, while offering the added advantage of mechanical robustness and recyclability.
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