Synthesis and Photocatalytic Performance of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 Semiconductors Calcined at Different Temperatures

In the current investigation a series of oxygen-rich bismuth oxychloride Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 samples through an ethylene glycol-solvothermal route were constructed at different calcination temperatures and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra. It was demonstrated that the calcination temperatures indeed had a crucial effect on the crystallinity, grain size, morphology, optical property, and charge carrier separation of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 series. These Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 samples showed significantly improved photocatalytic degradation over dye Rhodamine B and colorless antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride. Particularly, the best candidate, the sample 350 °C—Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 could show apparent reaction rate constants that were nearly 28.2, 1.2 times of N–TiO 2 over Rhodamine B and tetracycline hydrochloride, respectively. The possible reason of enhancing photocatalytic performance by various Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 samples calcined at different temperatures was discussed and major oxidative radicals maybe generated during photocatalytic processes were detected.