Facile hydrolysis synthesis of Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst with excellent visible light photocatalytic performance for the degradation of resorcinol

Abstract

A Bi₄O₅Br₂ photocatalyst had been synthesized successfully through a facile, one-step, and energy-saving hydrolysis route. The crystal structure, morphology, composition, optical property, and specific surface area of the as-synthesized material were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, respectively. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of Bi₄O₅Br₂ for resorcinol degradation under visible light irradiation was investigated systematically. The results revealed that the as-prepared Bi₄O₅Br₂ photocatalyst exhibited strong visible light absorption (band gap energy 2.0 eV), and large specific surface area (62.25 m² g⁻¹), which resulted in the enhanced photocatalytic performance for resorcinol degradation. Compared with BiOBr and P25, the photocatalytic activity of Bi₄O₅Br₂ was appropriately 31 and 12 times higher, respectively. The active oxygen species of h⁺, ˙OH, and ˙O₂⁻ dominated the resorcinol degradation process over the Bi₄O₅Br₂ photocatalyst. In addition, the relatively high stability of Bi₄O₅Br₂ will benefit its practical application for the treatment of other organic pollutants.