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Improving peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation efficiency to enhance simultaneous generation of radicals and non‐radicals is essential for removing new pollutants (NPs) in complex waters. However, achieving this with standard lattice‐structured heterogeneous catalysts remains challenging due to inefficient electron transfer. Here, CuCo2O4 properties are successfully tuned by controlling lattice distortion, enabling simultaneous PMS oxidation and reduction. Unlike the slow rate of electron transfer in heterogeneous metal catalysts with standard lattice structures, the highly active binary lattice distortion in CuCo2O4 alters the structure and electron distribution, exposes more Cu and Co sites, lowers the PMS adsorption barriers, and realizes the synergistic production of SO4•−/•OH), and 1O2. The k‐value for ciprofloxacin is as high as 17.83 min−1 M−1, 29.42 times higher than that with non‐binary lattice distortion. Additionally, the developed intermittent reactor consistently maintains a removal rate above 95% over five cycles in actual wastewater treatment scenarios. This work provides a new avenue for achieving the removal of new pollutants in complex water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation efficiency to generate more radicals is vital to promote the Fenton‐like reaction activity, however, how to promote the PMS adsorption and accelerate the interfacial electron transfer to boost its activation kinetics remains a great challenge. Herein, we prepared Cu‐doped defect‐rich In2O3 (Cu‐In2O3/Ov) catalysts containing asymmetric Cu−Ov−In sites for PMS activation in water purification. The intrinsic catalytic activity is that the side‐on adsorption configuration of the O−O bond (Cu−O−O−In) at the Cu‐Ov‐In sites significantly stretches the O−O bond length. Meanwhile, the Cu‐Ov‐In sites increase the electron density near the Fermi energy level, promoting more and faster electron transfer to the O−O bond for generating more SO4⋅− and ⋅OH. The degradation rate constant of tetracycline achieved by Cu‐In2O3/Ov is 31.8 times faster than In2O3/Ov, and it shows the possibility of membrane reactor for practical wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom photocatalysts have shown their fascinating strengths in enhancing charge transfer dynamics; however, rationally designing coordination sites by metal doping to stabilize isolated atoms is still challenging. Here, a one‐unit‐cell ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) nanosheet with abundant Cu dopants serving as the suitable support to achieve a single atom Pt catalyst (Pt1/Cu–ZIS) is reported, and hence the metal single atom–metal dopant interaction at an atomic level is disclosed. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations highlight the unique stabilizing effect (Pt–Cu interaction) of single Pt atoms in Cu‐doped ZIS, while apparent Pt clusters are observed in pristine ZIS. Specifically, Pt–Cu interaction provides an extra coordination site except three S sites on the surface, which induces a higher diffusion barrier and makes the single atom more stable on the surface. Apart from stabilizing Pt single atoms, Pt–Cu interaction also serves as the efficient channel to transfer electrons from Cu trap states to Pt active sites, thereby enhancing the charge separation and transfer efficiency. Remarkably, the Pt1/Cu–ZIS exhibits a superb activity, giving a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 5.02 mmol g−1 h−1, nearly 49 times higher than that of pristine ZIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic system constructed with 1D CdS and 2D CoS2 exhibited high photocatalytic hydrogen‐evolution activity of 5.54 mmol h−1 g−1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 10.2 % at 420 nm. More importantly, its interfacial charge migration pathway was unraveled: The electrons are efficiently transferred from CdS to CoS2 through a transition atomic layer connected by Co–S5.8 coordination, thus resulting in more photogenerated carriers participating in surface reactions. Furthermore, the charge‐trapping and charge‐transfer processes were investigated by transient absorption spectroscopy, which gave an estimated charge‐separation yield of approximately 91.5 % and a charge‐separated‐state lifetime of approximately (5.2±0.5) ns in CdS/CoS2. This study elucidates the key role of interfacial atomic layers in heterojunctions and will facilitate the development of more efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton-like reaction with targeted reactive species was tested for up-cycling of waste plastics to value-added chemicals and we demonstrated a bimetal-carbon-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) Fenton-like system for effectively converting polypropylene into hydrocarbons and ketones. In a hydrothermal reaction process at 160 °C for 14 h, directional polypropylene conversion was achieved at a selectivity of 80 wt% hydrocarbons and ketones in the products. The distribution of Cu-Mg bimetallic sites on a carbon substrate exhibited a synergistic effect, and their catalytic activation of PMS induced specific generation of •OH-dominated reactive species. The target reactive species controlled the oxidizing capacity of the system. The efficient breaking of C-C/C-H bond in polypropylene and the subsequent further oxidation under mild conditions led to the dominated products of hydrocarbons and ketones. This study provides an attractive approach for upcycling waste plastics, thus promoting circular economy and carbon reduction. [Display omitted] • 3D wood sponge-loaded Cu-Mg catalysts were prepared by in situ growth. • Electron transfer by Cu-Mg bimetallic synergy enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation. • Polypropylene (PP) oxidation was controlled by •OH-dominant active species. • •OH drove the sequential breaking of C-C/C-H bonds in PP products oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TTF was employed to realize molecular oxygen activation. • The photocatalytic activity and electron transfer ability were significantly promoted. • The catalyst exhibits excellent degradation efficiency in a broad pH range of 1–9. • The adaptability of the catalysts was proved by a continuous flow experiment. Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), one of the well-known organic photoelectric materials, was served as active sites to accelerate the activation of molecular oxygen to degrade organic pollutants. Herein, a kind of Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysis was constructed based on g-C 3 N 4 and TTF. According to the experimental results, the mechanism of Z-scheme heterojunction was supported, in which photogenerated electrons transferred from g-C 3 N 4 to TTF. More importantly, TTF on the catalyst surface could serve not only as electron donor, but also as the terminal active site to transfer photoexcited electrons to adsorbed oxygen molecules, producing mass of ⋅O 2 –. Meanwhile, the activation rate constant of TCN-5 for RhB was 0.0624 min−1, which was 10 and 5 times of g-C 3 N 4 and TTF, respectively. In addition, the results of EPR spectra, rotating disk electrode measurement and molecular oxygen activation measurement also demonstrated that this catalyst was energetically favorable to generate ⋅O 2 – through the single-electron reduction pathway of molecular oxygen. Finally, four possible photodegradation routes for RhB were proposed based on the results of HPLC-MS. This work provides a new insight on the application of organic photoelectric materials in the purification of wastewater by the molecular oxygen activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The S vacancies are used to anchor the Co single atom. • SMX is removed mainly by electron transfer pathway. • SMX and PMS act on the same Co site of MoSO-Co-C. • Electrons are transferred from SMX to MoSO-Co-C and eventually to PMS. Molybdenum disulfide serves as an ideal support for single atom catalysts (SACs), offering not only coordination elements but also abundant active sites, such as surface defects and vacancies. Herein, a novel Co-SAC (MoSO-Co-C) containing a four-coordinated configuration (Mo-Co-C 3) is designed and synthesized, in which the carbon intercalation is utilized to regulate sulfur vacancies for anchoring the Co atom. The introduction of Co atoms and C intercalation significantly enhances the E ads between catalyst and peroxymonosulfate (PMS), favoring the formation of metastable intermediates. The k obs of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal for MoSO-Co-C is 9.2 times and 1.8 times higher than those of catalysts without Co or C intercalation. SMX is removed mainly by electron transfer pathway, wherein SMX and PMS act on the same Co site of MoSO-Co-C, and electrons are transferred from SMX to MoSO-Co-C and eventually to PMS. The MoSO-Co-C demonstrated excellent SMX degradation in the diverse water matrices, and the removal efficiency of SMX maintained above 95 % after 72 h of continuous degradation. This study provides new insights into the design of transition metal-based SAC and in-depth understanding of PMS activation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron transfer pathways have been verified as overriding regimes when peroxydisulfate (PDS) was activated by porous carbon. The incorporation of graphitic structure into carbon matrix was favorable to the rapid electron transfer, but excessive graphitization would deteriorate the specific surface area (SSA), weakening the catalytic performance. The reasonable trade-off between SSA and graphitization degree was necessary and challenging for the preparation of efficient carbon based PS-activators. Herein, a series of graphitic porous carbon with discrepant SSA and graphitic structure were fabricated. The incorporation of graphitization tracks into ultra-thin edges on porous carbon film was verified by multifarious structural characterization. After trade-off, the optimum catalyst exhibited superior catalytic performance with degradation rate constant (k obs) exceeding that of ungraphitized precursor by up to 16.0 times. Mechanistic investigations substantiated that the sufficient SSA of catalyst provided favorable conditions for its affinity towards PDS and sulfadiazine (SDZ), resulting in the formation of PDS* complexes and SDZ adsorption, while the appropriate graphitization degree ensured the reinforced electron transfer rate, which collectively accelerated SDZ oxidation through electron-transfer pathway. The multivariate linear regression model linking k obs to SSA and graphitization degree was established providing basis to construct efficient catalysts for PDS activation. [Display omitted] • A series of graphitic porous carbon were fabricated. • The sufficient SSA of catalyst accelerated its affinity to PDS and SDZ. • The appropriate graphitization degree ensured the reinforced electron transfer rate. • Reactive complexes were the foremost active species for catalytic oxidation. • The multivariate linear regression model was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel flexible Pt/Al 2 O 3 membranes activated peroxymonosulfate via a nonradical mechanism. • Bisphenol A was totally removed within 20 min in the Pt/Al 2 O 3 -activated peroxymonosulfate system. • Electrons were transferred from the π-π aromatic ring of bisphenol A to peroxymonosulfate via Pt0. • The electron transfer from bisphenol A to peroxymonosulfate via Pt0 was responsible for bisphenol A degradation. Novel flexible Pt/Al 2 O 3 membranes were prepared and applied as catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). 100% of bisphenol A (BPA) could be removed within 20 min by using fresh Pt/Al 2 O 3 -membrane-activated PMS, which represents outstanding performance compared to catalysts reported in recent years. The influence of the PMS dosage, initial BPA concentration, and initial pH on BPA degradation were studied. The mechanism of BPA degradation in this system was investigated in depth. The BPA degradation process was not inhibited by the addition of radical scavengers to the system, and no free radicals were detected using ESR analysis. Additionally, the PMS molecules were only decomposed in the presence of both the catalysts and BPA. The results also demonstrated that only electron-rich aromatics could be degraded by this system. Furthermore, in contrast to typical degradation pathways involving the generation of free radicals, no intermediates formed via OH addition reaction were detected. Based on these findings, a nonradical pathway was suggested rather than a conventional OH/SO 4 − radical-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) mechanism. BPA is efficiently degraded by the transfer of electrons from its π-π aromatic ring to PMS via the noble metal Pt as transfer medium in this reaction. The findings in this work broaden the understanding of the use of activated PMS for the degradation of organic pollutants, and extend the application of flexible inorganic membranes in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • MnCo 2 O 4 nanoparticles were used for the first time in electro-Fenton process. • High ciprofloxacin removal with MnCo 2 O 4 modified cathode was obtained. • Co atom was more electron-rich than Mn atom in MnCo 2 O 4. • Electron transfer rate on the surface of MnCo 2 O 4 was enhanced. • Excellent catalysis of MnCo 2 O 4 with good stability and low metal leaching. Abstract The emergence of antibiotics in the environment, especially in drinking water, poses potential harm to human health. It's urgent to develop effective methods to remove antibiotics in drinking water. In this work, a series of mesoporous Mn x Co 3−x O 4 nanoparticles with high surface area were successfully synthesized and firstly used as effective stable electro-Fenton catalysts to degrade ciprofloxacin (CIP). The removal of CIP achieved to 100% within 5 h. Experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies verified the existence of redox pairs of Mn2+/Mn3+ and Co2+/Co3+. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) results suggested that the redox reaction capacity of MnCo 2 O 4 was enhanced and the electron transfer rate on the surface of this bimetallic oxide was 2.67 and 1.6 times the number of MnO 2 and Co 3 O 4 , respectively. The effective degradation of CIP was mainly associated with the increased electron transfer rate and advanced redox reactivity owing to the synergistic effect of manganese and cobalt entrapped in the matrix of mesoporous structure which provided more accessible active sites. The degradation intermediates and possible process mechanism were investigated in detail. The reusability of MnCo 2 O 4 -CF cathode was evaluated five cycles with minimal ion leaching which the concentration of Mn and Co in the system was lower than 2.5 and 3.4 ppm, respectively. This work provides further understanding for removal process of organic pollutants by investigation of redox couple and electron transfer rate of the promising MnCo 2 O 4 -CF cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mn-NPs loaded N-doped RGO (Mn-NRGO) was used for PMS activation to degrade BPA. • A selectivity toward different aromatic compounds in Mn-NRGO/PMS system was found. • Mn-NRGO/PMS system degraded BPA by mediated electron transfer pathway. • The electron transfer pathway was achieved by outer-sphere catalyst-PMS complex. • The crucial role of synergistic effect between Mn-NPs and doped N was elucidated. A family of graphene-based activators including reduced graphene oxide (RGO), nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO), zero-valent manganese loaded reduced graphene oxide (Mn-RGO) and zero-valent manganese loaded N-doped reduced graphene oxide (Mn-NRGO) were fabricated to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation. A significant synergistic effect between loaded manganese nano-particles (Mn-NPs) and doped N was revealed by comparing the apparent reaction rate constants with about 12.4, 7.6 and 10.5-folds enhancement when compared Mn-NRGO with RGO, NRGO, Mn-RGO, respectively. By integrating the results of chemical scavenger experiment, electron paramagnetic resonance test, galvanic oxidation process, PMS stoichiometric efficiency, linear sweep voltammetry and in-situ Raman spectrum, a predominant outer-sphere catalyst-PMS complexes mediated electron transfer pathway was uncovered. Based on kinetic studies, the specific contribution of synergistic effect was quantified to be at least 70%. The calculated Fermi level advanced by 0.03 eV in Mn-NG compared with that in NG, demonstrating that Mn-NG is more liable to donate electrons to PMS. The E ads and l O-O results pointed out that synergistic effect between Mn-NPs and doped N relied on the intimate affinity between Mn-NPs and HSO 5 – which triggered more uneven distribution of charge on the whole carbon sheets, and more adsorption of HSO 5 – on carbon framework. These newly created adsorption consequently reinforcing the formation of catalyst-PMS complexes and the elevation of mediated electron transfer pathway. Overall, this study firstly provides a comprehensive and definite insight of the synergistic effect between loaded Mn-NPs and doped-N on carbon materials for promoting PMS activation to degrade organics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although carbon-based materials/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructure with an up-down structure in space can inhibit the recombination of charge carriers, the electron transfer is still suppressed by the interlayer van der Waals force. Herein, amorphous carbon is successfully introduced into the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheet (CNS) by a self-conversion process to form an in-plane heterostructure of amorphous carbon/g-C 3 N 4 (CNSC 1). Kelvin probe atomic force microscopy (KPFM) and density functional theory (DFT) confirm that g-C 3 N 4 and amorphous carbon are in the same plane, which can generate the surface electric field of CNSC 1 , providing a driving force for the transfer of electrons from g-C 3 N 4 to amorphous carbon. Meanwhile, the sp2-hybridized π conjugation bond of amorphous carbon can rapidly capture and store photogenerated electrons, inhibiting charge carrier recombination and thus generating more electrons to facilitate the yield of hydroxyl radicals. The photocatalytic activity of CNSC 1 for the degradation of tetracycline and rhodamine B is 2.7 times and 4.8 times higher than that of CNS, respectively, due to the efficient interface charge separation. This work is expected to provide a new idea for the combination of carbon materials and g-C 3 N 4. [Display omitted] • Amorphous carbon/g-C 3 N 4 in-plane nanosheets were synthesized by self-conversion. • Surface electric field promotes electron transfer from g-C 3 N 4 to amorphous carbon. • The charge density of amorphous carbon/g-C 3 N 4 is 1.4 times than that of g-C 3 N 4. • The nanosheets display increased photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing catalysts that can effectively activate oxygen and hydrogen peroxide is a huge challenge in electro-Fenton (EF) process. Considering the superior ability of electrons transport and activation of H 2 O 2 , ceria encapsulated with N, P-codoped carbon material was a promising catalyst for EF reaction. Herein, CeO 2 - N P C T X (where T and X represented the calcination temperature and the initial mass of CeO 2 , respectively) materials were synthesized via pyrolysis process and used as catalysts to degrade ciprofloxacin (CIP) in EF process. The results indicated that CeO 2 - N P C 1000 100 catalyst had good degradation performance under the optimal conditions. Compared with CeO 2 and CeO 2 - N C 1000 100 catalysts, CeO 2 - N P C 1000 100 catalyst had more content of graphite N and more oxygen vacancies, which were beneficial to activation of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis confirmed ·O 2 − and ·OH were the main reactive oxygen species in the CIP degradation process. And three logical degradation routes of CIP were given. In addition, CeO 2 - N P C 1000 100 catalyst still had good stability after three times of continuous operation, and presented good universality for the treatment of a variety of antibiotic wastewaters. Finally, a convincing mechanism in the EF system with CeO 2 - N P C 1000 100 for CIP degradation was proposed. [Display omitted] • CeO 2 - N P C T X were used as catalysts in heterogeneous electro-Fenton system. • The doping of N, P improved electrons transport ability and OVs concentration. • The main reactive oxygen species were ·O 2 − and ·OH in CeO 2 -NPC electron-Fenton system. • CeO 2 - N P C 1000 100 had high degradation efficiency, good universality, favorable stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A single atomic Ag- g -C 3 N 4 (SAACN) with 10 wt% loading of Ag catalyst is designed. • When using SAACN, 17.24% of dissolved O 2 is converted to reactive oxygen species. • The rate constants (k) for degrading the tetracycline are 0.0409 min-1 over SAACN. • Abundant ROS generate over SAACN due to O 2 adsorption and electron transfer. • A potential method for converting O 2 into ROS and degraded pollutants is provided. Photocatalytic activation of molecular oxygen (O 2) is a promising way in oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. However, it suffers from low efficiency mainly due to the limited active sites for O 2 activation over traditional photocatalysts. Therefore, we established a single atomic Ag- g -C 3 N 4 (SAACN) catalyst with 10 wt% loading of Ag single sites for boosting the O 2 activation during the degradation of tetracycline (TC), and 10 wt% loading of nanoparticle Ag- g -C 3 N 4 (NPACN) was studied as a comparison. When using SAACN, the accumulative concentration of superoxide (•O 2 −), hydroxyl radical (•OH), singlet oxygen (1O 2) reached up to 0.66, 0.19, 0.33 mmol L−1h−1, respectively, within 120 min, 11.7, 5.7 and 4.9 times compared with those using NPACN, representing 17.24% of dissolved O 2 was converted to reactive oxygen species (ROS). When additionally feeding air or O 2, the accumulative concentrations of •O 2 −, •OH, 1O 2 were even higher (air: 4.21, 0.97, 2.02 mmol L−1 h−1; O 2 : 17.13, 1.32, 9.00 mmol L−1 h−1). The rate constants (k) for degrading the TC were 0.0409 min−1 over SAACN and 0.00880 min−1 over NPACN, respectively (mineralization rate: 95.7% vs. 59.9% after 3 h of degradation). Moreover, the degradation ability of SAACN did not decrease in a wide range of pH value (4–10) or under low temperature (10 °C). Besides the high exposure of Ag single sites, other advances of SAACN were: 1(O 2 was more energetic favorable to adsorb on single atomic Ag sites; 2) Positive Ag single sites were easier to obtain the electrons from the surrounding N atoms, and facilitated electron transfer towards adsorbed O 2. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A large amount of O 2 is adsorbed on the surface of oxygen-vacancy-rich CeO 2 -based heterojunctions. • DFT calculation confirmed the transfer direction of charges between the interface of AgI/CeO 2 heterojunction. • The charge carrier lifetime of AgI(5%)/CeO 2 is 2.7 times higher than that of CeO 2. • AgI(5%)/CeO 2 can completely inactivate E. coli within 8 min under visible light irradiation. Photocatalytic molecular O 2 activation has a broad prospect for generation of reactive oxygen species, but many of these conversions are unsatisfactory due to the poor oxygen adsorption capacity and low carrier utilization. To solve these problems, oxygen-vacancy-rich CeO 2 -based heterojunctions were constructed to improve oxygen chemisorption and photoexcited electrons transfer. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance tests suggested that there were abundant oxygen vacancies on the surface of the CeO 2 , which can act as oxygen adsorption sites to accelerate the chemisorption of O 2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, electrochemical and photochemical analyses proved that photogenerated electrons transferred from AgI to CeO 2 on the AgI/CeO 2 heterojunction interface, which inhibited the recombination of charge carriers and thus generated more electrons to facilitate the activation of O 2. Profiting from the excellent photocatalytic oxygen activation performance, the pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics constant of tetracycline by the AgI(5%)/CeO 2 was about 3 times and 47 times higher than that of CeO 2 and AgI, respectively. And AgI(5%)/CeO 2 can completely inactivate Escherichia coli (E. coli) within 8 min under visible light irradiation. Moreover, we also explored the degradation pathway of tetracycline and the inactivation mechanism of E. coli. This work is expected to inspire more wonderful research on improving the molecular O 2 activation efficiency from different aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co2+-N-C π is constructed via atomically dispersed Co bonding with C-based graphene-like structure. • Co2+-N-C π (Co−π) structure plays key role for PMS activation and pollutant degradation. • Electron donation effect of pollutants is realized through π-π interaction in SACo-NGs system. • High efficiency and low consumption are realized in SACo-NGs/PMS water treatment system. Orbital interaction involving metal cation−π is an important form for electron transfer regulation. To accelerate the interfacial electron transfer of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for water treatment, we report a new strategy through bonding atomically dispersed cobalt with nanospheric C-based graphene-like structures (SACo-NGs) to form metal cation−π structure, driving rapid and directional transfer of the electrons of pollutants to PMS on the catalyst surface. The catalyst SACo-NGs is synthesized by an enhanced hydrothermal-sintering method and the formation of metal cation−π structure is demonstrated by X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that Co−π structures (Co2+-N-C π) play a key role for the efficient activation of PMS, which results in pollutants being greatly removed in a few minutes. During the reaction, pollutants can donate electrons for the system through π−π interaction accompanying by the direct oxidative degradation of pollutants. The obtained electrons are quickly transferred to the atomically dispersed cobalt sites through the formed cation−π structure, which promotes the activation of PMS. This is a successful practice in the field of PMS activation using cation−π structure to accelerate electron transfer and achieve rapid degradation of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plasmonic Ag was used as the electron-transfer mediators to transfer electrons. • The Bi 2 MoO 6 /Ag-AgCl photocatalyst has excellent activity with good stability. • Both theoretical and experimental studies were performed to unravel the mechanism. Solar-driven photocatalysis undoubtedly represents one of the most promising alternative water disinfection technologies, however, its practical application is still restrained by the fast recombination of carriers. To overcome this limitation, plasmon-induced photocatalytic processes have gained attention due to their extended optical absorption and enhanced charge separation when metal nanoparticles act as co-catalysts. In this work, to enhance the photocatalytic disinfection of Bi 2 MoO 6 /AgCl, the formation of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles as electron transfer mediators was promoted on the surface of Bi 2 MoO 6 photocatalysts. Specifically, the co-modified Bi 2 MoO 6 /Ag-AgCl photocatalysts were synthesized via a two-step process involving the precipitation of AgCl and photo-reduction of Ag on the Bi 2 MoO 6 surface. It was found that Bi 2 MoO 6 /Ag-AgCl photocatalysts exhibited higher photocatalytic disinfection activity under visible light irradiation than those of Bi 2 MoO 6 and Bi 2 MoO 6 /AgCl. The photocatalytic mechanism of Bi 2 MoO 6 /AgCl could be attributed to the excellent synergistic effect of Ag and AgCl, where plasmonic Ag nanoparticles promote light absorption and work as electron-transfer mediators to transfer electrons from Bi 2 MoO 6 to AgCl, meanwhile AgCl work as interfacial catalytic active sites to product free radicals based on the powerful characterizations, such as PL spectra, photoelectrochemical methodology and theoretical calculations. This work may provide new insights to employ synergistic effect of heterogeneous photocatalysts for improving the catalytic activities in water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]