Rationally designed La and Se co-doped bismuth ferrites with controlled bandgap for visible light photocatalysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient visible light photocatalysts for water purification and hydrogen production is challenging.
• Photocatalyst activity depends on light absorption, band gap, and surface exposure.
• Bismuth ferrite (BFO) is a promising material but requires optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize La and Se co-doped bismuth ferrite (BLFSO) nanosheets.
• To investigate the effect of co-doping on the structural, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of BFO.
• To enhance photocatalytic activity for water purification and hydrogen production under visible light.

Main Methods:

• Double solvent sol-gel and co-precipitation methods were used for synthesis.
• Structural analysis confirmed the phase transition from perovskite rhombohedral to orthorhombic.
• Band gap energy was determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• La and Se co-doping induced a phase transition in BFO, forming BLFSO.
• The band gap energy decreased from 2.04 eV to 1.76 eV for BLFSO-50% (50% Se doping).
• BLFSO-50% exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity due to optimized band gap, nanosheet morphology, and increased surface area.

Conclusions:

• La and Se co-doping is an effective strategy to tune the electronic structure of bismuth ferrite.
• The resulting BLFSO nanosheets show significant potential for visible light photocatalysis.
• This work contributes to the development of advanced materials for sustainable energy applications.