Oxygen vacancy induced bismuth basic nitrate with excellent photocatalytic activity

A novel gray bismuth basic nitrate photocatalyst was synthesized. The results of Raman scattering spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy supported the presence of oxygen vacancies. Gray bismuth basic nitrate exhibits higher activity than white bismuth basic nitrate and BiOCl which is one of the most extensively studied bismuth-based photocatalytic material. The oxygen vacancies and internal electric field in bismuth basic nitrate possibly make it one of the promising materials for the degradation of environmental pollution.