Photocatalytic characteristics of immobilized SrBi2Nb2O9 film for degradation of organic pollutants

The use of semiconducting oxide photocatalyst in contaminant purification has recently drawn significant attention in both materials and environmental science. In this study, the compound SrBi2Nb2O9 with layered perovskite-type structure was synthesized by solid state reaction, and the network microstructure film was fabricated by the aerosol deposition method. The compound powder and aerosol-deposited film with SrBi2Nb2O9 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Ultra violet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry. The photocatalytic activity of the aerosol-deposited film with SrBi2Nb2O9 was evaluated by photo-induced destruction of Rhodamine B under the irradiation of UV and visible light. The aerosol-deposited film with SrBi2Nb2O9 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than that of SrBi2Nb2O9 powders. This result is attributed not only to the small sized grain, but also to the existence of a network microstructure capable of supporting the enhanced loading of organic contaminants on the aerosol-deposited film. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.