Synthesis of Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite and its electrochemical and enhanced photocatalytic properties for phenol degradation

Abstract

Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite with improved visible light photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation was the main focus of the current investigation, which involved solvothermal synthesis. FE-SEM, XRD, and TEM analyses of the Bi2S3-TiO2 nanostructure illustrated the successful synthesis of the Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite. According to electrochemical experiments, the Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite had a low recombination rate toward the TiO2 nanorods and Bi2S3 nanoparticles and a quicker interfacial charge transfer. According to the results of optical analyses, the bandgap energies of TiO2 nanorods, Bi2S3 nanoparticles, and Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite were determined to be 3.15 eV, 1.32 eV, and 2.55 eV, respectively. The results of photocatalytic degradation analyses revealed that TiO2 nanorods, Bi2S3 nanoparticles, and Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite all successfully treated 250 mL of a 50 mg/L phenol solution after being exposed to visible light for 125, 230, and 95 min, respectively. This indicates that the Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite had a rapid rate of photocatalytic degradation because of the synergistic effect of Bi Results of the investigation on the application of Bi2S3-TiO2 nanocomposite for phenol degradation in real-world samples showed that it was capable of treating phenol in industrial wastewater effectively through photocatalytic degradation.