Facile in Situ Synthesis of BiOCl Nanoplates Stacked to Highly Porous TiO₂: A Synergistic Combination for Environmental Remediation

Abstract

A novel nanocomposite material made of two-dimensional BiOCl nanoplates assembled into highly porous titania has been successfully prepared following a facile sol-gel reaction. Both the TiO2 (anatase) and BiOCl components are crystalline as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses. TiO2 exhibits a highly porous network and possesses a small crystallite size, whereas BiOCl forms micrometer-sized plates with nanometer thicknesses. Aqueous photocatalytic activity tests with this novel material have been performed on photodegradation of Rhodamine B under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation. Interestingly, the attachment of the BiOCl nanoplates to the TiO2 network significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity of the material compared to that of pure TiO2 due to the formation of BiOCl/TiO2 heterojunctions. Thus, this pertinent synergistic combination of TiO2 and BiOCl proves to be a promising strategy for the large-scale production of a new generation of photocatalysts with excellent properties for the degradation of organic pollutants.

Highly efficient and visible light driven Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4@PANI modified BiOCl heterocomposite catalyst for water remediation

“…Figure 6f shows the Fe 2p peak at 710.9 eV, which was consistent with the photoelectron peaks of Fe 3+ in NPB20 composite [50]. Similarly, weak satellite peaks appeared at 854.5 eV and 1022.1 eV that corresponds to characterstic peaks of nickel and zinc, for Ni 2p3/2 ( Figure 6g) and Zn 2p3/2 ( Figure 6h) respectively [51]. The XPS analysis confirms the presence of BiOCl and NZF@P nanofibers in the NPB20 composite.…”

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of mesoporous Na-doped TiO2 nano-powder prepared via a solvent-controlled non-aqueous sol–gel route

“…Synthesis of doped TiO 2 photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic activity is an active research eld because of their continuous use in environmental clean-up and renewable energy sources. [1][2][3][4] Particularly, synthesis of the anatase phase of TiO 2 nanomaterials has received greater attention than rutile and brookite phases due to its better photocatalytic activity, which is usually attributed to a large surface area and low surface energy in the nano-regime. 5,6 Increasing interest in TiO 2 nanomaterials is also due to the ease of tuning the surface area and band gap using various dopants via different synthesis methods.…”

Facile fabrication of mesoporous BiOCl/(BiO)2CO3/Bi2O3 ternary flower-like heterostructured microspheres with high visible-light-driven photoactivity

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Specially, mesoporous or hollow hetero-nanostructures possess high specific surface area and enhanced ability to absorb light compared with their solid counterparts, thus which can act as more effective photocatalysts for water and air purification. [15][16][17] However, BiOCl is a wide band-gap (Eg = 3.5 eV) semiconductor and can only absorb ultraviolet light, resulting in poor photocatalytic performance under visible-light irradiation. [15][16][17] However, BiOCl is a wide band-gap (Eg = 3.5 eV) semiconductor and can only absorb ultraviolet light, resulting in poor photocatalytic performance under visible-light irradiation.…”