BiO2-x/NaBiO3 hybrid composites: Facile synthesis, enhanced photocatalytic activity and mechanism

BiO2-x/NaBiO3 hybrid composites were successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. In the composites, NaBiO3 nanosheets were evenly dispersed in BiO2-x hierarchical structure, whose content could be adjustable easily by controlling NaOH concentration. The as-synthesized composites presented higher photocatalytic activity than individual BiO2-x and NaBiO3, which could efficiently degrade methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and phenol under the visible light irradiation. Moreover, the composites exhibited commendable photo-stability. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the combined effect of efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers and enhanced visible light absorption. The trapping experiments confirmed that center dot O-2(-) and h(+) were the major reactive species during the photocatalytic process. The current research offered a facile route for designing high valence bismuth-contained hybrid materials with superb photocatalytic activity.