visible -light -driven zno/ bi3o4cl photocatalyst : a novel binary zno - based nanocomposite for water purification

Different organic pollutants in water source lead to a serious problem to environmental protection [1]. advanced oxidation processes (aops), as a promising manner, have been extensively utilized for removal of various nonbiodegradable pollutants from water by the production of highly oxidizing agents. heterogeneous photocatalysis as a feasible, green, and one of the most desirable aops has attracted important consideration due to its power to complete degradation of contaminants under ambient conditions [2]. hence, zno based nanocomposite materials have wide band gap (3.22 ev, at 300 k). as zno is a low cost semiconductor which is ecofriendly and room temperature optical and electrical properties [3]. in the past decades, bismuth oxyhalides (biox, x = cl, br, and i), as a class of layered semiconductor materials, have attracted much attention due to its unique and highly electrical property, suitable energy band positions and excellent-efficiency photocatalytic activity [4]. furthermore, bi3o4clhas band gap in the range of 2.5–2.8 ev that can be simply excitedby visible light irradiations[٥]. the general morphology of zno/bi3o4cl (30%) nanocomposite was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscope (fesem). from the fesem analysis were applied and the results are shown in fig. 1. it is clear that the plate -like bi3o4cl are deposited on the zno nanoparticles.the zno/bi3o4cl (30%) nanocomposite illustrated the fundamental photocatalytic ability for degradations of rhodamine b( rhb ) as aim organic pollutant under visible light irradiation . the experimental results demonstrate that photocatalytic activity of zno/bi3o4cl (30%) nanocomposite was about 18 times higher than those of zno sample. the reaction kinetic was surveyed via the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. this work may afford new slight to the structure of impressive zno based nanocomposites for environmental remediation.