J Hazard Mater. 2026 Jul 10;515:142972. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.142972. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The development of multifunctional photocatalysts capable of simultaneously eliminating biological and chemical pollutants is of critical importance for indoor environmental remediation. Herein, a tightly coupled UiO-66-NH₂/Mn₃O₄ heterojunction was rationally constructed via an in-situ growth followed by an annealing strategy. The formation of a type-II band alignment with strong interfacial electronic coupling establishes an internal electric field that can drive efficient charge separation. This conclusion is further supported by significantly quenched photoluminescence, enhanced photocurrent response, and the lowest charge-transfer resistance. Meanwhile, the heterojunction exhibits a substantially enhanced generation of multiple reactive oxygen species (including·O₂⁻, ·OH, and ¹O₂), as directly verified by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Leveraging this superior photoactivity, the optimized composite demonstrates outstanding dual-functional performance: it achieves rapid and potent inactivation of both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (98.73% and 99.85% efficiency, respectively) via a reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated membrane disruption mechanism, while simultaneously enabling highly efficient photocatalytic mineralization of gaseous formaldehyde (93.5% degradation to CO₂). The composite maintains robust stability over multiple cycles. This work provides a paradigm for designing MOF-based heterojunctions through interfacial engineering, offering a high-performance and sustainable platform for comprehensive environmental purification.

PMID:42456578 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.142972