Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of BiOBr/BiOCl flowerlike composites used for photocatalysis

Abstract

© 2020, Springer Nature B.V. BiOBr/BiOCl flowerlike composites were successfully synthesized in different solutions containing 0.00–1.50 g polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized BiOBr/BiOCl composites were studied by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV–visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and photocatalysis. In this research, the morphologies of tetragonal BiOBr and tetragonal BiOCl products were transformed from BiOBr/BiOCl microplates without PVP into BiOBr/BiOCl microflowers with 1.00 g added PVP. The BiOBr/BiOCl microflowers have optimal visible light absorption and demonstrate excellent photocatalytic activity in degradation of rhodamine B and salicylic acid under xenon radiation. These composites are promising materials used for wastewater treatment.