Cobalt and tungsten single-metal atom catalyst coupled with TiO2-BiCu2VO6 metal oxide on the graphene for efficient solar fuel production and chromium reduction

There is immense promise in photocatalysis for utilizing single-atomic-layer cobalt and tungsten oxide (CoW) on TiO2-BiCu2VO6, ethylene diamine, and reduced graphene-oxide-supported materials. Although there is great excitement surrounding single-metal atom oxide catalysts, converting bulk metal oxides into single-atom oxides remains challenging. In addition, creating high-performance materials for photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) generation and Cr(VI) reduction is crucial and challenging. This work presents a precise catalyst achieved by anchoring a high loading of CoW single metal atom oxide onto the surface of TiO2-BiCu2VO6-rGO through a simple sonication process, even at low temperatures. The prepared TiO2-BiCu2VO6-CoW-ED-rGO (TBCR) catalysts exhibited improved stability when used for hydrogen (H2) generation and Cr(VI) reduction under visiblelight illumination. The single Co and W atoms on the TiO2-BiCu2VO6 catalyst demonstrated exceptional performance in H2 generation and Cr(VI) reduction. Through careful experimentation, optimizing the loading of single atoms on the interstitial atomic line of TiO2-BiCu2VO6 significantly enhanced its visible-light absorption capabilities. Using HAADF-STEM, EXAFS, and XANES investigations, cobalt/tungsten single metal atom oxide was determined to be uniformly dispersed over the TiO2-BiCu2VO6 material. The developed photocatalyst showed impressive results with improved H2 generation (36.48 mmol/g/h) and maximum reduction of Cr(VI) (99.4 %). Moreover, by harnessing solar radiation, the photocatalyst can efficiently replace existing noble metal catalysts as a highly effective and durable single-atom catalyst for renewable H2 generation and Cr(VI) reduction.