Abstract
Titanium oxide is a common semiconductor used in heterogeneous photocatalysis. However, TiO2 efficiency is limited because TiO2 absorbs only a small fraction of visible light. An alternative would be to use bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) in association with TiO2 because Bi2O3 has a strong absorption in the visible light region. We have optimized the synthesis of α- and β-Bi2O3, drawing from the two main methods, namely precipitation and hydrothermal synthesis. The structural and light absorption properties of as-prepared composites were determined using different spectroscopic techniques (UV–Vis DRS and XRD). The photocatalytic activity of the β-Bi2O3 has been compared to commercial and prepared α-Bi2O3 for the photodegradation of Orange II under visible and UV light.
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The authors wish to thank the French ministry of Foreign affairs and the Embassy of France in Ivory Coast (Campus France Program) for the PhD research grant of Prisca AYEKOE.
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Ayekoe, P.Y., Robert, D. & Goné, D.L. TiO2/Bi2O3 photocatalysts for elimination of water contaminants. Part 1: synthesis of α- and β-Bi2O3 nanoparticles. Environ Chem Lett 13, 327–332 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-015-0505-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-015-0505-7