In situ formation of a ternary Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 photocatalyst and its enhanced photocatalytic performance

In this work, Bi4NbO8Cl associated with Bi24O31Cl10 and Bi3NbO7 was prepared by a solid-state method. During the removal of impurities, the heterostructure was formed simultaneously. The effect of acid on the type of heterostructure and photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples was studied. Under low-acetic acid concentrations, Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 composites could be obtained, while Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl was formed under high acidic conditions. Compared with the samples prepared by the solid-state method, the two types of heterojunctions Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 and Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl both showed improved photocatalytic performance. In particular, Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 prepared with ethanol/acetic acid ratio of 1:1 possessed the best photocatalytic activities, with RhB and CIP could be totally degraded within two hours, while the degradation rate of BPA was about 67% within three hours.