Preparation and catalytic properties of ZnO/ Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 composites

ZnO/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 composites were prepared by chemical hydrothermal deposition and hydrothermal method and the effects of ZnO adding on the properties of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 were investigated. The results show that the ZnO/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 composite with 5% ZnO content has the best photocatalytic performance and good cycling stability. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the degradation rate for MB (10 mg/L) by ZnO/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 composites reached 100% within 20 minutes, and the reaction rate constant was 0.07427min- 1, which were 27.51 and 6.00 times higher than those of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT, 0.0027 min-1) and ZnO (0.01237min- 1), respectively. The incorporation of ZnO on the Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 can form Z-scheme heterostructure ZnO/ Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 and increase the specific surface area, inhibiting the recombination of electron and hole and improving separation and transfer carriers efficiency. ZnO/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 composites have potential applications in high-efficiency and high-activity photocatalysts to degrade organic pollutants.