Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Properties in Low-Temperature Bi-Nb-O System Photocatalysts

Low-temperature Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts were prepared by a citrate method using homemade water-soluble niobium precursors. The structures, morphologies, and optical properties of Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts with different compositions were investigated deeply. All the Bi-Nb-O powders exhibit appreciably much higher photocatalytic efficiency of photo-degradation of methyl violet (MV), especially for Bi-Nb-O photocatalysts sintered at 750 °C (BNO750), only 1.5 h to completely decompose MV, and the obtained first-order rate constant (k) is 1.94/h. A larger degradation rate of Bi-Nb-O photocatalysts sintered at 550 °C (BNO550) can be attributed to the synergistic effect between β-BiNbO4 and Bi5Nb3O15. Bi5Nb3O15 with small particle size on β-BiNbO4 surface can effectively short the diffuse length of electron. BNO750 exhibits the best photocatalytic properties under visible-light irradiation, which can be attributed to its better crystallinity and the synergistic effect between β-BiNbO4 and α-BiNbO4. The small amount of α-BiNbO4 loading on surface of β-BiNbO4 can effectively improve the electron and hole segregation and migration. Holes are the main active species of Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation.