Abstract
AbstractBiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI have been synthesized by wet chemical route using bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3.5H2O) and potassium halides, KCl, KBr, and KI, using a mixture of de-ionized water and ethanol as the solvent. Synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution SEM to observe the crystalline phase and crystallite size. Effective surface areas of the synthesized samples were estimated by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller studies. Photoactive properties of these samples were studied under three types of light exposure conditions viz. UV light from mercury vapour lamp, natural sunlight, and visible radiations from a 100-W incandescent tungsten filament. Degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous media was estimated spectrophotometerically in visible range from the area under the curve with a peak at 464 nm. Kinetic constant for degradation reaction was calculated assuming the pseudo-first-order degradation mechanism. It was revealed that all the three samples show excellent degrada...
Highlights
Assuming “C0” as the initial concentration of methyl orange (MO) dissolved in the solution, log (Co/Cn) was calculated where Cn = C1, C2, C3, ... etc. are the concentrations of MO remaining after 1, 2, 3, ... hours of light exposure
Highest photodegradation rates of the MO was observed for the sample synthesized with solvent containing water to ethanol ratio as 50:50, in the particular series of bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX) compound (Figure S1 of the supporting information)
Solvent used in the synthesis of three bismuth oxyhalides viz. BiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI plays an important role to tune the photocatalytic activity of the compound
Summary
During the last few decades, low-dimensional nanostructured materials have attracted special interest due to their novel properties and potential applications in photocatalysis, solar energy harvesting, electronics, and photonic devices (Ai, Ho, Lee, & Zhang, 2009; Byon & Choi, 2006; Cesano et al, 2008; Chang et al, 2010; Cheng, Huang, & Dai, 2014; Cheng, Huang, Qin, Zhang, & Dai, 2012; Cui & Lieber, 2001; Deng, Chen, Peng, & Tang, 2008; Fang, Huang, Yang, Wang, & Cheng, 2011; Henglein & Gutiérrez, 1983; Hoffmann, Martin, Choi, & Bahnemann, 1995; Kudo & Miseki, 2009; Li, Wang, Yao, Dang, & Li, 2011; Miller, Musgrave, Falconer, & Medlin, 2011; Peng, Chan, Meister, Zhang, & Cui, 2009; Pirkanniemi & Sillanpää, 2002; Sene, Zeltner, & Anderson, 2003; Xiong, Cheng, Li, Qin, & Chen, 2011; Ye et al, 2012; Yu, Yu, Fan, Wen, & Hu, 2010; Zhang, Ai, Jia, & Zhang, 2008; Zhang, Shi, et al, 2008; Zhu, Xie, Zheng, Yin, & Tian, 2002). Despite the wide energy band gap, these materials are presently being explored and modified for efficient performance under visible natural light for photocatalytic degradation of harmful organic compounds in air and water (Ai et al, 2009; Chang et al, 2010; Cheng et al, 2012, 2014; Deng et al, 2008; Fang et al, 2011; Li et al, 2011; Miller et al, 2011; Peng et al, 2009; Xiong et al, 2011; Ye et al, 2012; Yu et al, 2010; Zhang, Ai, et al, 2008; Zhang, Shi, et al, 2008; Zhu et al, 2002). Photodegradation ability of the synthesized materials was evaluated by estimating their degradation efficiency of methyl orange (MO) under UV and visible light exposure
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