LaCO3OH improving photocatalytic activity of In(OH)3/In2S3 heterostructures

Lanthanum hydroxycarbonate (LaCO3OH), a kind of fluorescence materials, was less studied in application for photocatalysis. In this paper, LaCO3OH/In(OH)(3)/In2S3 (LCO/IO/IS) heterostructures were firstly synthesized by a mild two-step hydrothermal method and investigated by various technologies. The activity of as-prepared samples was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light (lambda >= 420 nm). When the content of LaCO3OH is 15 mol.% (La/In), the obtained sample exhibits the highest performance, beyond two times as high as that of In(OH)(3)/In2S3. The improved photodegradation activity might be ascribed to higher adsorption capability and photosensitization of RhB due to proper energy structures of the heterostructures, which prompts the effective separation of electrons and holes. This work extends the application of rear earth salts (lanthanum hydroxycarbonate) for purification of dye waste water.