Synthesis And Photocatalytic Efficiency Under Visible Light Of Biobr-Based Composites

Abstract

This research aimed to improve the photocatalytic activity under visible light of BiOBr-based composites. Due to its narrow band gap energy which can be responded to visible light and good performance for decomposition of harmful organic contaminants, BiOBr becomes one of the promising candidate photocatalysts. Anyhow, the easy recombination of generated electron and hole limited its photocatalytic efficiency. To solve this problem, BiOBr hybriding with other materials such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced-graphene oxide (rGO) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) that can enhance charge carriers separation was proposed. From this study, it was found that the enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiOBr was successfully achieved by hybriding with GO, rGO and g-C3N4. The amount of these 3 materials in the composites had played an important role on their photocatalytic efficiency. The highest photocatalytic degradation of Rh-B and nitrogen oxide gas was obtained from BiOBr/ g-C3N4 with 2wt%, which was higher than that of other composites and pure BiOBr. Moreover, these BiOBr-based composites showed high photocatalytic stability after 3 cycles reusing for Rh-B and NOx degradation, in that the BiOBr/ g-C3N4 with 2wt% exhibited the highest reused stability followed by BiOBr/rGO, BiOBr/GO and BiOBr, respectively. As the results, it can be proposed that the BiOBr-based composites synthesized in this study would be promising visible-light responsive photocatalyst materials for water and air purifications in future.