Large-scale synthesis of self-assembled ultralong cannonite nanobelt film as a visible-light photocatalyst

Abstract

A high-efficiency cannonite Bi₂O(OH)₂SO₄ nanobelt photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as both the coordinating agent and sulfur source through hydrolytic reaction based on a facile one-step hydrothermal process. Surface morphology analysis indicates that the products consist of ultralong nanobelts with widths around 30–50 nm, thicknesses of approximately 10 nm and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers. It is worth noting that these single crystalline nanobelts are self-assembled in the form of macroscopic architecture suspended in the solution which could be transferred onto substrates as thin films on a large scale. The as-prepared cannonite nanobelt films exhibit high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic dye wastewater such as rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue, methyl orange and Congo red aqueous solutions under visible-light irradiation and have advantages of easy catalyst separation and recovery over commonly used powder-form catalysts. This new promising photocatalyst shows potential application in the treatment of dye-containing wastewaters.