Preparation of 2D square-like Bi2S3-BiOCl heterostructures with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance for dye pollutant degradation

• Main Authors: Jing-jing Xu, Jing-wen Yang, Pu Zhang, Quan Yuan, Yan-hong Zhu, Yu Wang, Miao-miao Wu, Zheng-mei Wang, Min-dong Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-10-01
• Series: Water Science and Engineering
• Subjects: Photocatalysis; Bi2S3; BiOCl; Visible light; Heterostructure
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674237017301096
• ISSN: 1674-2370

A series of Bi2S3-BiOCl composites with two-dimensional (2D) square-like structures were prepared via a two-step anion exchange route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) were used to investigate the properties of the as-prepared Bi2S3-BiOCl heterostructures. The coupling of BiOCl and Bi2S3 induced enhanced photoabsorption efficiency and bandgap narrowing. A reactive brilliant red X-3B dye was used as a contaminant to test the photocatalytic activity of the obtained Bi2S3-BiOCl samples under visible light irradiation. The sample Bi2S3-BiOCl with a mass ratio of 8:4 exhibited the highest photodegradation efficiency, which was six times higher than that of pure BiOCl. In addition, a mechanism for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity is proposed.