Spinel NiFe2O4 nanoparticles decorated BiOBr nanosheets for improving the photocatalytic degradation of organic dye pollutants

Abstract

Abstract The BiOBr nanosheets decorated by spinel NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal approach. The structure of as-synthesized magnetically recyclable BiOBr/NiFe2O4 (denoted as BOB/NFO) composite samples consisting of different BOB/NFO mass ratios was fully characterized and the photocatalytic performance was also detailedly evaluated through degrading rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. BOB/NFO10 (10% NFO) composite photocatalyst represented the highest catalytic efficiency, degrading 99.8% of RhB after 30 min of irradiation. The rate constant of degradation was almost 1.72 and 60.3 times as high as those of the bare BiOBr and NiFe2O4, respectively, which should be ascribed to the efficient charge separation and transfer originating from heterostructure between BOB and NFO. Radical trapping experiments showed that h+ and •O2−played a crucial role in the photocatalytic system.