Anchoring Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto flower-like BiOI to fabricate p-n junction for boosting visible-light-driven photocatalytic peroxydisulfate activation

The coupling of photocatalysis with persulfate-based oxidation has been regarded as a promising strategy to increase the overall reaction efficiency for organic pollutants removal. Designing an appropriate semiconductor heterojunction is a crucial prerequisite for this strategy. In this work, a p-n heterojunction was fabricated by combining p-type semiconductor BiOI with n-type Fe3O4. A facile in-situ precipitation method was developed to anchor Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto flower-like BiOI. Various instrumental techniques were employed to characterize this heterojunction. The p-n junction formation could remarkably expedite the degradation of high concentration Rhodamine B (RhB, 100 mg L-1) via peroxydisulfate activation under visible light illumination. The high activity, good stability and magnetic nature of this heterojunction would pave the way for practical applications.

Automated summary

The coupling of photocatalysis with persulfate-based oxidation is considered a promising strategy for increasing the overall reaction efficiency for organic pollutants removal, with the design of an appropriate semiconductor heterojunction being key. In this study, a p-n heterojunction was fabricated by combining p-type semiconductor BiOI with n-type Fe3O4, resulting in significantly accelerated degradation of high concentration Rhodamine B under visible light illumination. The high activity, stability, and magnetic properties of this heterojunction pave the way for practical applications.