Visible light driven photocatalytic degradation enhanced by α/β phase heterojunctions on electrospun Bi2O3 nanofibers

Abstract

It is of top priority to develop highly efficient visible-light photocatalyst to realize the practical applications of photocatalysis in industry. Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) is considered as a potentially attractive candidate for the visible-light-driven photodegradation of organic pollutants. In an effort to enhance its photocatalytic activities, Bi2O3 nanofibers with α-β phase heterojunctions were successfully prepared by an electrospinning followed by a precisely controlled heat treatment. The structural features, morphologies, and photo-absorption performances of the as-prepared samples were systematically investigated. XRD patterns revealed that the α-β phase heterojunction on Bi2O3 nanofibers were obtained and the relative ratios between the phases can readily be tailored by the control of the calcination temperature. The photocatalytic activity of a nanofiber calcined at 350 °C for the degradation of rhodamine-B under visible light irradiation exhibits 2.3 and 4.5 times higher than that of nanofibers synthesized at 325 °C and 375 °C, respectively, which is ascribed to efficient charge separation and transfer across the α-β phase heterojunction. Such electrospun nanofiber with heterojunction may bring new insight into the designing of highly efficient and Industrially applicable visible-light-responsible photocatalysts.