{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T18:25:23Z","timestamp":1787163923924,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,16]],"date-time":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765843200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["No. U1704145"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No. U1704145"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China","award":["No. 522MS062"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No. 522MS062"]}]},{"name":"Special Research Fund of the Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province","award":["No. YSPTZX202207"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No. YSPTZX202207"]}]},{"name":"Nature Science Foundation for High-level Talents in Higher Education of Hainan","award":["No. 422RC667"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No. 422RC667"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>La-doped ZnO nanoclusters confined within mesoporous SBA-15 were synthesized using an impregnation\u2013calcination method and evaluated for their visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). Small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the preservation of the 2D hexagonal mesostructure of SBA-15 post-loading. In contrast, wide-angle XRD and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses revealed that the incorporated ZnO existed predominantly as highly dispersed amorphous or ultrafine clusters within the mesopores. N2 adsorption\u2013desorption measurements exhibited Type IV isotherms with H1 hysteresis loops. Compared to pristine SBA-15, the specific surface area and pore volume of the composites decreased from 729.35 m2 g\u22121 to 521.32 m2 g\u22121 and from 1.09 cm3 g\u22121 to 0.85 cm3 g\u22121, respectively, accompanied by an apparent increase in the average pore diameter from 5.99 nm to 6.55 nm, attributed to non-uniform pore occupation. Under visible-light irradiation, the photocatalytic performance was highly dependent on the La doping level. Notably, the 5% La-ZnO\/SBA-15 sample exhibited superior activity, achieving over 99% RhB removal within 40 min and demonstrating the highest apparent rate constant (k = 0.1152 min\u22121), surpassing both undoped ZnO\/SBA-15 (k = 0.0467 min\u22121) and other doping levels. Reusability tests over four consecutive cycles showed a consistent degradation efficiency exceeding 93%, with only a ~7 percentage-point decline, indicating excellent structural stability and recyclability. Radical scavenging experiments identified h+, \u00b7OH, and \u00b7O2\u2212 as the primary reactive species. Furthermore, photoluminescence (PL) quenching observed at the optimal 5% La doping level suggested suppressed radiative recombination and enhanced charge carrier separation. Collectively, these results underscore the synergistic effect of La doping and mesoporous confinement in achieving fast, efficient, and recyclable photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30244800","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,16]],"date-time":"2025-12-16T17:22:58Z","timestamp":1765905778000},"page":"4800","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["La-Doped ZnO\/SBA-15 for Rapid and Recyclable Photodegradation of Rhodamine B Under Visible Light"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Ziyang","family":"Zhou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5685-5727","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Weiye","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China"},{"name":"The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province, Haikou 571158, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiuming","family":"Zhong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongyan","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China"},{"name":"The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province, Haikou 571158, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5558-660X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shihua","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China"},{"name":"The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province, Haikou 571158, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"390","DOI":"10.1080\/00986445.2020.1864626","article-title":"A review of integrated advanced oxidation processes and biological processes for organic pollutant removal","volume":"209","author":"Nidheesh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chem. 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