A facile oxygen vacancy and bandgap control of Bi(OH)SO4·H2O for achieving enhanced photocatalytic remediation

The development of highly efficient photocatalysts is crucial for the remediation of organic pollutants. Herein, we reported a facile synthesis of oxygen vacancy rich Bi(OH)SO4·H2O photocatalyst by the control of precursor. The samples were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscope, electron paramagnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy etc. With more oxygen vacancies introduced, the photocatalytic activity on the degradation of RhB and tetracycline was significantly boosted. Density functional theory calculation was used to further reveal the influence of oxygen vacancy on the band structure of Bi(OH)SO4·H2O. The results and finding of this work are helpful for the development of sustainable environmental protection.