A novel layered bismuth-based photocatalytic material LiBi3O4Cl2 with •OH and h+ as the active species for efficient photodegradation applications

Developing new photocatalysts is of significant importance for their potential environmental and energetic applications. Herein, a novel layered bismuth-based photocatalytic material LiBi3O4Cl2 was developed by a simple solid-state reaction. The morphology, microstructures and optical properties were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM and DRS. The band gap of LiBi3O4Cl2 has been determined to be 3.35 eV, and its ECB and EVB were also estimated. The photocatalytic property of LiBi3O4Cl2 is surveyed by oxidative decomposition of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and phenol in aqueous solution. The results demonstrated that LiBi3O4Cl2 is an efficient UV light active photocatalyst, which can destroy the contaminants with irradiation. It is also more effective in degrading pollutants than the related layered bismuth-based photocatalyst Bi4NbO8Br. The photocatalysis mechanism is detailedly investigated by active species trapping measurement and terephthalic acid photoluminescence probing technique (TA-PL). It revealed that powerful hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) and photogenerated holes (h(+)) are the two main active species and are responsible for the efficient degradation process. This study provides a new layered bismuth-based photocatalytic material for environmental and energetic applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.