Tailored BiPO4/Bi-MOF heterostructure photocatalysts with diverse morphologies for highly efficient organic pollutant degradation

Three distinct morphologies of Bi-MOFs were innovatively employed as carriers, facilitating the formation of heterojunctions with BiPO4. Among these, the optimal photocatalytic performance was demonstrated by the type II heterojunction BiPO4/CAU-17. Bi3+ competitively coordinated to crucially aid CAU-17's transformation into a heterojunction, enhancing interfacial contact in BiPO4/CAU-17. These photocatalysts effectively degraded dyes (RhB, MO, MB) and tetracycline (TC) under light exposure. RhB degradation was 3.33 times faster with BiPO4/CAU-17 than BiPO4, 1.45 times faster than FCAU-17, 1.36 times faster than FRCAU-17, and 1.32 times faster than CAU-17. Analyzing carrier density, Fermi level, and band structure through VB-XPS, UV-VIS, and Mott-Schottky provided insights into enhanced separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs. This study presents a novel approach to tackle the aggregation challenge of the wide-bandgap material BiPO4 by using suitable MOFs as carriers. It offers valuable perspectives for the design and application of photocatalysts in environmental remediation.