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The influence of Sn(II) doping on the photoinduced charge and photocatalytic properties of BiOBr microspheres

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Abstract

In this study, nanostructured Sn-doped BiOBr microspheres with high, visible-light photocatalytic activity have been successfully synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. The prepared Sn-doped BiOBr photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectrum, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, N2 adsorption, and electrochemical methods. The results showed that the doping greatly changed the microstructure, morphology, and optical properties of BiOBr, which could enhance its photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared Sn-doped BiOBr photocatalysts were investigated by the degradation of bisphenol A and Rhodamine B solution under visible-light irradiation. The dosage of Sn dopant that impacted on both the photoinduced charge property, which primarily involved charge separation, as well as the photocatalytic activity of the BiOBr microspheres, was principally investigated. Compared with pure BiOBr, the Sn-doped BiOBr had a higher photocatalytic activity. This photoactivity enhancement may be the result of the higher surface area, the strong absorption in the visible region, the negative shift in the conduction band potentials, and the improvement in the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In addition, the active species-trapping experiments indicated that the holes and O •−2 play important roles in the photocatalytic reaction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51268047, 51272099, and 51238002), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-10-0850), the Cultivating Program for Young Scientists of Jiangxi Province of China (20122BCB23014), and Jiangxi Provincial Science & Technology Pillar Program (No. 2010BSA20700).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Control and Resources Recycle, College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, 330063, China

    Xinman Tu, Shengming Qian, Lin Chen & Liangdi Qu

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  1. Xinman Tu
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Correspondence to Xinman Tu.

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Tu, X., Qian, S., Chen, L. et al. The influence of Sn(II) doping on the photoinduced charge and photocatalytic properties of BiOBr microspheres. J Mater Sci 50, 4312–4323 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8983-3

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