Synthesis of novel (Cr, Cu)-doped BiFeO3 perovskite as a photocatalyst for Rhodamine B degradation under sunlight irradiation

This study investigates the synthesis of (Cr, Cu)-doped BiFeO3 perovskites with compositions BiFe1-x(Cux/2Crx/2)O3 (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) using the sol-gel method, calcined at 850 degrees C, to enhance their structural and photocatalytic properties. A comprehensive suite of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rietveld refinement, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy, was employed to analyze the synthesized materials. XRD patterns and Rietveld refinement revealed a phase transformation from BiFeO3 to Bi2Fe4O9 with increasing Cr and Cu doping levels. SEM analysis showed variations in microstructure, with the average particle size decreasing as Cr and Cu doping increased, reaching a minimum value of 2.355 mu m at x = 0.2. The band gap measurements confirmed the successful incorporation of Cr and Cu into the BFO lattice, resulting in a reduced band gap of 2.04 eV at x = 0.2. Photocatalytic performance was assessed by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under sunlight irradiation. The sample with x = 0.2 demonstrated an impressive 98% degradation efficiency within 180 min, with a calculated rate constant of kapp = 0.01535 +/- 0.00122 min-1. This work highlights the potential of (Cr, Cu)-doped BFO perovskites as efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation applications.