Removal of bisphenol A by mesoporous BiOBr under simulated solar light irradiation

Abstract

3D mesoporous BiOBr microspheres were fabricated via a facile, rapid and environmentally friendly one-step solvothermal process without using templates. The physiochemical properties of BiOBr were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM and nitrogen adsorption techniques. The photodegradation behaviors of bisphenol A (BPA) catalyzed by BiOBr were investigated under simulated solar light irradiation. The photocatalytic activities of the BiOBr were superior to that of commercial Degussa P25 TiO₂. Particular attention was paid to the identification of intermediates and acute toxicity of photocatalytic degradation samples of BPA by GC–MS and bioluminescence bacteria, respectively. Deducing from the results, BiOBr can be a good kind of catalyst irradiated by visible light even under sunlight.