Synthesis of mesoporous BiOI flower and facile in-situ preparation of BiOI/BiOCl mixture for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of toxic dye, Rhodamine-B

Porous flower-like BiOI possessing excellent and wonderful activity in visible light induced photo-catalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B, have been synthesized by facile solvothermal method. X-ray diffractometer, microscopes and spectroscopes are employed to study the phase structure, nano-dimension, purity and morphology of synthesized and used catalysts. The degradation using BiOI is increased from 74 to 99.2 % within 1 h for in-situ formation of BiOI/BiOCl mixture in media of aqueous BiOI containing Cl− ion. The study of reaction parameters reveals high efficiency of mixed catalyst with maximum removal of the dye achieved up to 99.2 % in 1 h for a dye concentration of 5 mg/L at pH 3. Possible degradation products are detected, scavenger-effects determined and mechanisms proposed.