Characterization and visible light photocatalytic mechanism of size-controlled BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2013.04.058· OSTI ID:22341744

He, Jian ^[1]; Guo, Renqing ^[2]; Fang, Liang ^[1]; Dong, Wen; Zheng, Fengang; Shen, Mingrong ^[1]

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1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Thin Films and Department of Physics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China)
2. College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000 (China)

Graphical abstract: BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles showed the size-dependent photocatalytic properties, and the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism for the pollutant degradation was proposed. - Highlights: • Size-controlled BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles were prepared by sol–gel method. • The hydroxyl radicals were the main reactive species responsible for the pollutant degradation. • BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles showed the size-dependent photocatalytic properties. - Abstract: BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles with controlled particle size were synthesized via sol–gel method. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscope, Raman spectra, nitrogen adsorption technique and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. Photocatalytic activity of BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles was further examined by monitoring the degradation of Rhodamine B dye in an aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. Through the calculation of band position and a number of diagnostic experiments, the photocatalytic mechanism of BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles was proposed in this study. It was found that the hydroxyl radicals originated from the photogenerated electrons were the main reactive species responsible for the pollutant degradation. Moreover, with the variations of annealing temperature and time, the average crystallite size, specific surface area and crystallinity of BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles could be changed, which thus affected the photocatalytic activity of the corresponding samples.

• OSTI ID: 22341744
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Journal Name: Materials Research Bulletin Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 48; ISSN MRBUAC; ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ADSORPTION
ANNEALING
IRRADIATION
MONITORING
NANOPARTICLES
NANOSTRUCTURES
PARTICLE SIZE
PHOTOCATALYSIS
POLLUTANTS
RAMAN SPECTRA
SOL-GEL PROCESS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION