Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B in water by visible light irradiated BMZ nanocomposite

Abstract

The Bi2MoZnO7 nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized via co-precipitation and solid state method and followed by a low temperature calcinations treatment process. We find that such a Bi2MoZnO7 nanocomposite exihibits higher photoctatalytic activity and stability than Bi2MoO6, Bi2O3 and ZnO towards the aqueous phase degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light (420 nm < λ). The presence of Bi3+/Mo6+/Zn2+ ions in Bi2MoZnO7 and formation of defects in the lattice is believed to play an essential role in affecting the photoreactivity. The different types of active species scavengers are also play the photocatalytic process. The synthesized Bi2MoZnO7 nanocomposites were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, TEM, EDAX and IR techniques. The crystallite sizes, particle and grain sizes are 12±2, 5±1 and 100±5 nm, respectively. The rate of degradation of Rhodamine B by BMZ in aqueous phase is 7 times (40.70×10-3min-1) faster in comparison to pure Bi2O3/ZnO. Copyright © 2017 VBRI Press.