Effect of Chlorine Source on the Morphology of Flower-like BiOCl and its Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

AbstractNano-plate-assembled BiOCl micro-flowers from hexapetalous-flowers to cutely-flowers with average diameters from 2 to 2.5 μm and thickness of nano-plates from 30 to 50 nm are obtained in various chloride source systems. The above BiOCl structures exhibit excellent UV-light photocatalytic activity toward degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) solution. Among the structures, BiOCl with choline chloride as chloride source gives the best photocatalytic activity. The SEM indicated three types of micro-flowers were synthesized in four types of chloride source, hexapetalous flowers in imidazole hydrochloride, hollyhock flowers in chlorinated pyridine and choline chloride, cutely-flowers in NaCl. Interesting results have been obtained that the BiOCl micro-flowers seem grow up to the c axis from NaCl, choline chloride, chlorinated pyridine to imidazole hydrochloride. UV- vis measurement reveals that there is a shift in the optical absorption edge toward higher wavelength, which indicates a decrease in the band gap upon BiOCl micro-flowers was prepared in chlorinated pyridine and imidazole hydrochloride. BET indicated surface area of BiOCl micro-flowers was obviously increased in IL.