Visible light-driven efficient degradation of Rhodamine B using rGO/Bi2O2CO3/BiOCl composite photocatalysts

Abstract

In this study, rGO/Bi2O2CO3/BiOCl composite photocatalysts were prepared using a one-step solvothermal method. The formation and morphology of these photocatalysts were characterized through XRD, Raman, XPS, SEM, TEM, and other techniques. The efficiency of the composite photocatalysts was assessed by decreasing RhB under visible light. Among them, the photocatalytic activity of 4 wt% rGO/Bi2O2CO3/BiOCl was discovered to be the best, with a degradation rate as high as 96 % within 60 min. This is because the inclusion of rGO not only increased the specific surface area of the ternary materials, but also acted as a carrier for electrons transfer. Besides, the heterojunction structure constituted between Bi2O2CO3 and BiOCl also opens up a new pathway for carrier separation. Finally, we explored the degradation mechanism of rGO/Bi2O2CO3/BiOCl ternary materials in detail. This study holds an important reference for the synthesis of bismuth-based composite photocatalysts and has potential applications in wastewater treatment.