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Synthesis of BiOCl0.5I0.5/TiO2 heterojunctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties

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Abstract

In this paper, a series of BiOCl0.5I0.5/TiO2 photocatalysts were in situ synthesized by a simple mixed solvothermal method with the aid of lactic acid. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, BET, and DRS. The results of visible light degradation for methyl orange (MO) demonstrated that the BiOCl0.5I0.5/TiO2 heterojunctions assembled by nanosheets were possessed of enhanced photocatalytic activity, comparing with pure BiOCl0.5I0.5 and TiO2. Especially, the composite in which the mass percent of TiO2 was 5.98% exhibited the most excellent photocatalysis among the prepared heterojunctions, the degradation efficiency of which reached 98% under visible light irradiation for 3 h. The remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activities of BiOCl0.5I0.5/TiO2 heterojunctions were attributed to the good adsorption capacity of MO, suitable bandgap, quick charge separation, and transfer of P–N junction heterostructure. The corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed to further explain the photocatalysis process.

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Acknowledgments

We are so grateful for the support from the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21407084), the Research Program of Science and Technology at the Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (No. NJZY13141), and the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (Nos. 2014BS0509, 2015MS0571, 2017BS0508).

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  1. School of Material and Metallurgy, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014010, China

    Baoying Wang, Lun Li, Jiakuan Chen, Chenglin Duan, Jinling Song, Ruifen Wang & Bangwen Zhang

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  1. Baoying Wang
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  2. Lun Li
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  3. Jiakuan Chen
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  4. Chenglin Duan
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  5. Jinling Song
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Correspondence to Jinling Song.

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Wang, B., Li, L., Chen, J. et al. Synthesis of BiOCl0.5I0.5/TiO2 heterojunctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties. J Nanopart Res 20, 175 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-018-4270-y

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