Visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR by Bi-doped TiO2

Bi-doped nano-crystalline TiO2 (Bi–TiO2) has been synthesized by sonocrystallization at low temperature. The Bi–TiO2 materials have narrower bandgaps than pristine TiO2, which endow them with significant visible light absorption. Accordingly, these materials had enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of organic dye pollutants and the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) under visible irradiation. It was found that degradation of MC-LR is rather efficient. After irradiation with visible light for 12 h the original MC-LR was removed completely, and 78% of the organic carbon was mineralized into CO2 after irradiation for 20 h. The hydroxyl radical (·OH) is the major active species responsible for the degradation reaction. Identified intermediates primarily originate from attack of ·OH radicals on the double bonds between C4 and C5 (C6 and C7) of Adda and the ethylenic bond of Mdha in MC-LR. Some peptide bonds are also broken with longer irradiation time.