Preparation and photocatalytic activity of porous Bi5O7I nanosheets

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 319; pp. 265 - 271
• Main Authors: Yang, Jun, Xu, Longjun, Liu, Chenglun, Xie, Taiping
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Mesoporous material; Nanostructure; Photocatalysis; Physics; Porosity; Porous Bi5O7I nanosheets; Reflectance; Simulation; Specific surface; Sunlight; Surface chemistry; Mesoporous material; Photocatalysis; Porous Bi5O7I nanosheets; Scanning electron microscopy; Band structure; Thermal decomposition; Physical radiation effects; Porous materials; Ultraviolet spectra; I nanosheets; Desorption; XRD; Nitrogen; Mesoporosity; Surface structure; O; Thickness; Transmission electron microscopy; Reflection spectrum; Preparation; Visible radiation; Porous Bi; Adsorption isotherms; Crystal morphology; Crystal structure
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.07.055
• ISSN: 0169-4332

The porous Bi5O7I nanosheets were successfully prepared by a facile thermal decomposition of BiOI nanosheets, and the pore diameter mainly distributes in 18–30nm and the most probable distribution emerges at 27nm. •The porous Bi5O7I nanosheets were successfully prepared for the first time.•The prepared Bi5O7I nanosheets show excellent photocatalytic activity.•The resultant samples could be reused. Porous Bi5O7I nanosheets were successfully prepared by a facile thermal decomposition of BiOI nanosheets in air at 500°C for 2h. The crystal structure, surface morphology, specific surface area, and optical properties of resulted materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. Moreover, the photodegradation ability of porous Bi5O7I nanosheets on target pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (λ≥400nm) and simulated sunlight irradiation was investigated. The results indicated that porous Bi5O7I nanosheets were mainly composed of irregular nanosheets. With the layer thickness of 30–50nm and pore diameter distribution around 25nm, it belonged to mesoporous material. Compared with BiOI, the photocatalytic activity of porous Bi5O7I nanosheets under visible light was appropriately 2 times than that of BiOI, and 2.3 times under simulated sunlight. The major reasons for the improvement in catalytic performance were the existence of multiple pores and the special band structure.