Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Bi24O31Br10: Constructing Heterojunction with BiOI

Bismuth-based compounds have been regarded as an important class of visible-light photocatalysts due to their special electronic structures. In this paper, iodide ions are introduced to modify bismuth-based compound, Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 , forming a Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /BiOI heterojunction structure. A significant enhancement of photocatalytic activity compared to the parent compounds is observed in de-coloration of rhodamine B (Rh.B) solution. The improved photocatalytic property of Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /BiOI heterojunction is ascribed to the unique electronic structure consisting of complementary band structures of BiOI and Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 . Iodide ions are regarded as an effective reagent to construct bismuth-based photocatalytic heterojunctions with improved photocatalytic activity.