Controllable Morphology and Photocatalytic Performance of Bismuth Silicate Nanobelts/Nanosheets

Abstract

Bismuth silicate (BSO) nanobelts/nanosheets were successfully synthesized for the first time via a one-pot hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), N₂adsorption-desorption (BET), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The results showed that the concentration of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) had crucial effect on the formation of the phase and structure of BSO nanobelts/nanosheets, CTAB acted as a structure-directing reagent. A morphology-controlled process and formation mechanism are proposed. The bismuth silicate samples showed higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol and azo dye RhB than the commercial catalyst P25. The effects of surface area and morphology of the BSO samples on different photocatalytic activity were also discussed.