S-Doped Sb₂O₃ Nanocrystal: an Efficient Visible-Light Catalyst for Organic Degradation

The S-doped Sb₂O₃ nanocrystals were successfully synthesized using SbCl₃ and thioacetamide (TAA) as precursors via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The effects of pH of the precursor reaction solution on the product composition and property were determined. The results indicated that the doping amount of S could be tuned by adjusting the pH of the precursor solution. Furthermore, the S entered into the interstitial site of Sb₂O₃ crystals as S^2-, which broadened the absorption wavelength range of the Sb₂O₃ nanocrystal. The S-doped Sb₂O₃ exhibited an excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methyl orange and 4-phenylazophenol. Last, a possible photocatalytic mechanism of the S-doped Sb₂O₃ under visible light irradiation was proposed.