BiOCl/UiO-66 composite with enhanced performance for photo-assisted degradation of dye from water

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is an environmental friendly and cost-effective technique for water treatment. Due to their unique properties, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as ideal platform to develop composite photocatalyst. In this study, Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) was first attempt to be incorporated with highly stable MOFs, UiO-66(Zr) by hydrothermal reaction. Different characterization methods including X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy had been used to prove the successful synthesis of composite photocatalyst. The resultant BiOCl/UiO-66 composite showed higher photodegradation performance of Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation than that of pristine materials and their mechanically mixed sample. In addition, the composite exhibited good structural stability and reusability. The photocatalytic mechanism of RhB degradation over the composite under visible light proceeded via a photosensitization process. A better adsorptivity of RhB and effective electron transfer within the hybrid material might be responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance.