Bismuth oxybromide nanoplates embedded on activated charcoal as effective visible light driven photocatalyst

Abstract

Nanostructured bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr) are one among the most significantly researched visible light driven photocatalyst, but their low specific surface area hinders higher rate of photodegradation. Herein, a single-step solution based synthesis technique is adopted to embed BiOBr on very little quantities of activated charcoal (AC), thereby improving its specific surface area and visible light absorption range. Nanoplate morphology of BiOBr and their embedment on AC are confirmed from electron microscopy. Interestingly, the embedment of BiOBr on just 0.5 wt% of AC (BiOBr-AC0.5) significantly enhanced the rate of salicylic acid photodegradation, which was six-fold higher than that of pristine BiOBr.