Montmorillonite-Supported BiVO4 nanocomposite: Synthesis, interface characteristics and enhanced photocatalytic activity for Dye-contaminated wastewater

Abstract

Textile effluents may harm the human body as well as cause environmental pollution. For several decades researchers have been attempting to overcome this issue by introducing environmentally friendly technologies that degrade bulk dyes to mitigate hazards. Synthetic dyes are carcinogenic for humans as well as for other living organisms. Various techniques have been developed for the removal of these toxic compounds, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) being the most used processes. In this study, Montmorillonite (MMT) supported BiVO4 nanocomposite was prepared by the sol–gel method to degrade Brilliant Red 80 dye using photocatalysis. The BiVO4/MMT composite was comprehensively characterized by several characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis-DRS). Interestingly, the composite material showed a narrow bandgap of 2.26 eV with strong light absorption in the visible range. A 1000-watt Xenon Lamp was used for activity performance measurement. The photocatalytic Brilliant Red 80 degradation activity was observed to be 99% degraded within 120 min of illumination compared to conventional BiVO4 which showed around 80% degradation. Moreover, in this work, an acidic media was found to favor the degradation of Brilliant Red 80 dye.