Controllable synthesis of solar-light-driven BiOCl nanostructures for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine

Abstract Fabrication of photocatalysts with controllable morphology and surface structure is an important strategy for improving the photocatalytic degradation activity of environmental pollutants. In this paper, solar-light-driven BiOCl was controllably synthesized via a facile alcohol mediated solvothermal method. XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, UV–vis-DRS, PL, and BET were performed to investigate the structural, surface, optical and electric properties of the samples. Results showed that alcohol (ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol) played an important role in determining the morphology and surface structure of BiOCl. Changing ethanol to ethylene glycol and glycerol, the nanosheets shaped BiOCl assembled to hierarchical microsphere. The influence of alcohol on the performance of BiOCl samples was explored for the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) under simulated solar irradiation. The sample prepared in ethylene glycol (BiOCl-2) displayed the highest photocatalytic activity for CBZ degradation due to surface hydroxyls group and preferential exposed (001) face, which improve the CBZ adsorption and photo-charge separation efficiency. Active species trapping experiments indicated that h+ and O2− predominated the photocatalytic degradation process of CBZ. Our findings indicate that BiOCl photocatalysis prepared in ethylene glycol can be used as an efficient technology for removing recalcitrant pharmaceutical contaminants.