Visible-Light-Active BiOI/TiO2 Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Remediation of Crude Oil-Contaminated Water

In this study, BiOI-sensitized TiO2 (BiOI/TiO2) nanocomposites with different levels of BiOI deposited via sequential ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) have been explored for the degradation of methyl orange, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), and crude oil in water under visible (>400 nm) irradiation with excellent degradation performance. The reaction progress for methyl orange and 4-chlorophenol was monitored by a UV-vis spectrophotometer, and the degradation of the crude oil hydrocarbons was determined by GC-MS. The BiOI/TiO2 heterojunction improves separation of photogenerated charges, which enhances the degradation efficiency. Evaluation of the visible-light photocatalytic performance of the synthesized catalysts against methyl orange degradation confirmed that four SILAR cycles are the optimal deposition condition for the best degradation efficiency. The efficiency was further confirmed by degrading 4-CP and crude oil, achieving 38.30 and 85.62% degradation, respectively, compared with 0.0% (4-CP) and 70.56% (crude oil) achieved by TiO2. The efficiency of TiO2 in degrading crude oil was mainly due to adsorption along with photolysis. This study provides a simple and cost-effective alternative to traditional remediation methods requiring high energy consumption for remediation of crude oil-polluted water and refinery wastewater using visible-light photocatalysis along with adsorption.