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Effect of Bismuth Dopant on the Photocatalytic Properties of SrTiO3 Under Solar Irradiation

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Abstract

This work presents the structural, morphological and photocatalytic properties of pure SrTiO3 (STO) and Bismuth doped STO. Several Bi doped samples were synthesized using Bi concentrations from 0.5 to 5 mol% and the sol-gel method. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, all the samples presented cubic phase. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the samples without dopant or with low Bi concentration (0 and 0.5 mol%) presented a quasi-spherical morphology. The sample doped with 1 mol% of Bi presented mainly a rod-like morphology, while the samples doped with 2 and 5 mol% showed a mixture of quasi-cubic particles and rod-like particles. The absorbance experiments demonstrated that the introduction of Bi in the STO host extended the light absorption in the visible region and decreased the band gap of STO. Both effects benefited the photocatalytic properties of STO:Bi powders. In fact, the photocatalytic evaluation of the STO and STO:Bi powders under natural solar light revealed that total degradation of methylene blue (MB) can be produced only by the sample doped with 1 mol%. Scavenger experiments were also carried out using teraphtalic acid and benzoquinone in order to figure out which oxidizing agent (OH· radicals or O2−) is producing the degradation of MB dye and found that the OH· radicals are the dominant agent. Since the STO:Bi powders can be activated by solar light for the photocatalytic degradation of MB, these powders could be a low cost option for the degradation of dyes in water treatment plants.

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Acknowledgements

D. Chavez thanks to CONACYT-Mexico for the Doctorate scholarship 693166. J. Oliva acknowledges the support through the CATEDRAS-CONACYT program. C.R. García acknowledges the support from Coordinación Unidad Saltillo and DGEPI from Autonomous University of Coahuila.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Prol. David Berlanga S/N Edif. A. unidad Camporedondo, 25000, Saltillo Coah, Mexico

    Carlos Rodriguez Garcia, David Chávez & Briseida Esquivel

  2. Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Lomas 4ta Secc, 78216, San Luis, S. L. P, Mexico

    Jorge Oliva

  3. Programa de Posgrado de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Ing. J. Cárdenas Valdez S/N, República, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

    David Chávez

  4. Depto. de Ingeniería Física, División de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad de Guanajuato, Lomas del Bosque #103, Lomas del Campestre, 37150, León, Gto, Mexico

    Christian Gómez-Solís

  5. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Ciudad Universitaria, Fundadores Km. 13, Las Glorias, 25350, Arteaga, Coahuila, Mexico

    Erika Martínez-Sánchez

  6. Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Saltillo, Industrial, Zona Industrial, 25900, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico

    Arturo Isaias Mtz-Enriquez

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Garcia, C.R., Oliva, J., Chávez, D. et al. Effect of Bismuth Dopant on the Photocatalytic Properties of SrTiO3 Under Solar Irradiation. Top Catal 64, 155–166 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-020-01391-z

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