Construction of amorphous SiO2 modified β-Bi2O3 porous hierarchical microspheres for photocatalytic antibiotics degradation

This work describes the synthesis of porous hierarchical microspheres composed of amorphous SiO2 and crystalline beta-Bi2O3 (BSO) via a simple solvothermal process and subsequent calcination. Complementary physicochemical methods were applied to study the function of amorphous SiO2, as well as the phase composition and morphology evolution of as-synthesized samples as a function of calcination temperature. The presence of amorphous SiO2 contributed to form hierarchically structured beta-Bi2O3 with enhanced thermostability. Moreover, the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light irradiation was employed as a model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of as prepared materials. In consequence, both phase composition and morphology were found to be significant parameters for adjusting the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples. The fastest TC degradation at a low dosage of catalyst (0.2 g L-1) was observed for the sample annealed at 400celcius which contains a highly crystalline beta-Bi2O3 phase. The synergistic effect of the porous structure, excellent light absorption, and higher charge carrier separation and transfer efficiency is believed to be the reason for the optimal photocatalytic activity. This study offers a new method toward the fabrication of hierarchical porous structured beta-Bi2O3 with enhanced thermostability for various applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Porous hierarchical microspheres composed of amorphous SiO2 and crystalline beta-Bi2O3 were synthesized via a solvothermal process and subsequent calcination, with amorphous SiO2 contributing to enhanced thermostability of beta-Bi2O3. Photocatalytic activity of the synthesized samples was found to be significantly influenced by phase composition and morphology, with samples containing highly crystalline beta-Bi2O3 phase exhibiting optimal performance in tetracycline hydrochloride degradation under visible light irradiation at low catalyst dosage. The synergistic effect of porous structure, light absorption capability, and charge carrier separation efficiency were identified as key factors contributing to the samples' photocatalytic activity.