A visible-light driven Bi2S3@ZIF-8 core–shell heterostructure and synergistic photocatalysis mechanism

Abstract

Visible-light-driven organic transformations have received much attention because of their low cost, relative safety, and environmental friendliness. In this work, we report a series of Bi₂S₃@ZIF-8 core–shell heterostructures prepared using a simple and efficient self-assembly process. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated using the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation and the results show that the core–shell Bi₂S₃@ZIF-8 heterostructure can remarkably enhance the photocatalytic efficiency at room temperature compared to pristine Bi₂S₃ nanorods. In addition, the Bi₂S₃@ZIF-8 composite with a Bi/Zn molar ratio of 1/10 demonstrates good structural stability after the degradation experiment and its photocatalytic activity remains at about 95% after the five recycling tests. The improved photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the larger specific surface area, increased light absorption, and more efficient separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs due to the combined effects of Bi₂S₃ and ZIF-8. Moreover, the synergistic photocatalysis mechanism was investigated.