Photocatalytic activity of Bi24Ga2O39 for degrading methylene blue

Sillenite-type Bi24Ga2O39 as an efficient photocatalyst was studied in the present paper. This compound, synthesized via a solid state reaction method, has a band gap of 2.94 eV and possesses a fair response to visible light. Generally, the photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue over Bi24Ga2O39 is higher than that over rutile-type TiO2 under UV or visible light. The dispersion of Pt over Bi24Ga2O39 leads to an striking increase in photocatalytic performance. The high photocatalytic activity was discussed in relation to the local crystal structure of the compound. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.