Abstract
BiOCl/NaNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts with significantly improved photocatalytic performance were fabricated by a facile in-situ growth method. The obtained BiOCl/NaNbO3 samples were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photocurrent (PC) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic activity of the BiOCl/NaNbO3 samples was investigated by the degradation of a typical antibiotic Ofloxacin (OFX). The experimental results showed that BiOCl/NaNbO3 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity for OFX degradation compared to pure NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The degradation percent of OFX reached 90% within 60 min, and the apparent rate constant was about 8 times as that of pure NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The improved activity can be attributed to the formation of p-n junction between NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The formed p-n junction facilitated the separation of photogenerated holes and electrons, thereby enhancing photocatalytic activity. In addition, the composite photocatalyst showed satisfactory stability for the degradation of OFX. Due to the simple synthesis process, high photocatalytic activity, and the good recyclability of these composite photocatalysts, the results of this study would provide a good example for the rational design of other highly efficient heterojunction photocatalytic materials.
Highlights
The problem of water pollution has attracted increasing attention worldwide due to many toxic pollutants continue to enter into our water bodies (Ao et al, 2016b; Li et al, 2018; Yuan et al, 2018)
The diffraction peaks of pure BiOCl and NaNbO3 and the diffraction peaks of heterostructure BiOCl/NaNbO3 composites can be clearly observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) diagram
XRD showed that the samples were clean and had no other phase of impurity, so the composites were basically composed of BiOCl and NaNbO3
Summary
The problem of water pollution has attracted increasing attention worldwide due to many toxic pollutants continue to enter into our water bodies (Ao et al, 2016b; Li et al, 2018; Yuan et al, 2018). Various experiments have shown that forming heterojunction with other semiconductor materials was a promising way to improve the photocatalytic activity of NaNbO3. As far as we know, the preparation and activity of BiOCl/NaNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalyst have not been studied yet.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
