Morphology-controlled preparation and plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic activity of Pt-BiOBr heterostructures

Pt-BiOBr nanosheets, microflowers, microspheres and sphere-like microflowers are controllably fabricated via a hydro(solvo)thermal treatment-photodeposition route and adjusting Br sources and solvents in the preparation systems. The simulated sunlight and visible-light photocatalytic properties of various morphological Pt-BiOBr heterostructures are evaluated by the degradation of two aqueous light insensitive organic pollutants, p-nitrophenol (PNP) and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), and the relationship between the morphological characteristics and photocatalytic properties of the Pt-BiOBr is revealed accordingly. The sphere-like Pt-BiOBr microflowers and microspheres show considerably higher photocatalytic activity with respect to their microflowers and nanosheets counterparts, and their activity outperforms P25 TiO2. This excellent photoactivity is explained in terms of unique performance of BiOBr and plasmonic metal nanoparticles as well as fascinating morphological characteristics. The Pt-BiOBr heterostructures can be reused four times without obvious activity loss.