Construction of ultrathin MoS2/Bi5O7I composites: Effective charge separation and increased photocatalytic activity

Ultrathin MoS2 nanosheet hybridized Bi5O7I (MoS2/Bi5O7I) nanorods were synthesized via a reactable ionic liquid assisted solvothermal process for the first time. The photocatalytic activity of MoS2/Bi5O7I nanorods was determined by photodegrading bisphenol A (BPA), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and ciprofioxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation. Experimental results showed that MoS2/Bi5O7I owned the excellent photocatalytic properties and photostability. The efficient visible light driven photocatalytic performance was due to a larger specific surface area of MoS2, which increased the close interfacial contact between pollutants and photocatalysts. Meanwhile, the introduction of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheet was conducive to the separation and utilization of photoinduced charge carriers, thus further suppressed high recombination rate in pure Bi5O7I nanorods. Moreover, a possible charge transfer path in MoS2/Bi5O7I composite material was also put forward. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.