Fabrication of high photocatalytic activity photocatalysts with TiO₂ supported on lamellar BiOCl

Abstract

A lamellar nanostructure consisting of anatase TiO2/BiOCl was effectively developed while employing the approach of solvothermal. The samples underwent comprehensive analysis of their phase structures, morphologies, surface areas, optical properties, and electronic states using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL). The photoelectrochemical data demonstrated that the incorporation of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles into the BiOCl lamellar structure significantly improved its photocatalytic efficiency to degrade Malachite Green (MG) in UV light, surpassing the performance of both pure BiOCl and anatase TiO2. Additionally, the study delved into the photocatalytic mechanism responsible for this enhanced performance. The superior photocatalytic efficiency of the anatase TiO2/BiOCl composites can be ascribed to higher surface area, smaller crystallite size, stronger light absorption and improved charge separation efficiency.