Photocatalytic mineralization of carbendazim pesticide by a visible light active novel type-II Bi2S3/BiFeO3 heterojunction photocatalyst

Abstract

In this study, an efficient photocatalytic route is developed for degradation of carbendazim fungicide under visible light irradiation using Bi2S3/BiFeO3 heterojunction materials as photocatalyst. The heterojunction system prepared by a two-step process contains rhombohedral BiFeO3 and orthorhombic Bi2S3 as crystalline phases. Morphologically, the Bi2S3/BiFeO3 materials contain BiFeO3 nanoplates and Bi2S3 nanorods in close microscopic contact. The Bi2S3/BiFeO3 materials exhibited improved visible light absorption, enhanced charge carrier separation and efficient photocatalytic activity achieving 96% degradation within 2 h of reaction. The mechanistic pathway for carbendazim degradation has been elucidated using GC-Mass analysis and radical scavenger experiments.