An Investigation of PPy@1T/2H MoS2 Composites with Durable Photothermal-Promoted Effect in Photo-Fenton Degradation of Methylene Blue and in Water Evaporation

Abstract

MoS₂ has garnered considerable attention as an exceptional co-catalyst that is capable of significantly enhancing the efficiency of H₂O₂ decomposition in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). This improvement allows for a reduction in the required amounts of H₂O₂ and Fe²⁺. In this study, we investigated the cyclic durability of photo-Fenton catalysts, focusing on the degradation of pollutants through the introduction of PPy into heterogeneous 1T-2H MoS₂ units. The resulting photothermal-Fenton catalysts, comprising non-ferrous Fenton catalysts, demonstrated excellent degradation performance for simulated pollutants. In comparison with 1T-2H MoS₂, the PPy@1T-2H MoS₂ composite exhibited remarkable stability and photothermal enhancement in the photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The photo-Fenton reaction efficiently degraded contaminants, achieving 99% removal within 5 min and 99.8% removal within 30 min. Moreover, the co-catalyst complex displayed enhanced cyclic stability during the photo-Fenton reaction, with a contaminant removal efficiency of 92%, even after the 13th cyclic test. The combined effects of PPy and 1T-2H MoS₂ demonstrated improved efficiency in both photocatalytic and photo-Fenton catalytic reactions. Furthermore, PPy@1T-2H MoS₂ exhibited outstanding performance in the photothermal evaporation of water, achieving an efficiency of 86.3% under one solar irradiation.