Self-fluorinated Bi3Ti2O8F formed by cross-linked nanosheets as a superior dye-sensitized photocatalyst

Abstract

A new semiconductor photocatalyst Bi₃Ti₂O₈F (BTOF) has been prepared by a hydrothermal method, whose surface is highly fluorinated by the intrinsic F ions. Each BTOF particle is formed by many cross-linked nanosheets (NS) and most of the NSs grow upright on each other. It is noted that the fluorinated surface exhibits strong electronegativity and superior adsorption capacity for cationic dyes selectively. In comparison with the TiO₂ (Degussa P25), BTOF exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity for cationic dyes under both ultraviolet and visible light, which is demonstrated to be a process of dye sensitization photodegradation with good stability and recyclability. The strong dye sensitization effect of BTOF under visible light reveals the application potential in dye-polluted water treatment and dye-sensitized solar cells.