2D/2D BiOBr/(001)-TiO2 heterojunction toward enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity of Rhodamine B

Developing highly active photocatalyst to degrade organic pollutants is a green strategy to deal with the environmental crisis. Herein, the novel BiOBr/(001)-TiO2 (TB-x) composites were synthesized via the in-situ construction method. The crystal structure, morphological structure, energy band structure and photoelectrochemical properties of TB-x were characterized, and the results show that the 2D/2D structure has a significant improvement in photo-generated carrier separation and visible light utilization. The optimal Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation reaction rate of TB-10 is 3.4 times and 2.1 times higher than pure (001)-TiO2 under Xenon lamp and Mercury lamp (500 W), respectively. Meanwhile, the TB-10 displays an excellent cycling performance during photocatalytic reaction. Based on free radical trapping and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, the pivotal active group is the superoxide radicals anions (center dot O-2(-)) to degrade RhB. This study offers a conception for advancing the application of TB-x photocatalyst in environmental protection. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.