Synthesis, structural property, photophysical property, photocatalytic property of novel ZnBiErO4 under visible light irradiation

Abstract

A novel photocatalyst ZnBiErO4 was firstly synthesized by solid-state reaction method and its structural and photocatalytic properties were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance. The results demonstrated that ZnBiErO4 crystallized with tetragonal crystal structure with space group I41/A. The lattice parameters for ZnBiErO4 were proved to be a = b = 10.255738 Å and c = 9.938888 Å. The band gap of ZnBiErO4 was estimated to be about 1.69 eV. Compared with nitrogen doped TiO2, ZnBiErO4 showed excellent photocatalytic activities for degrading methyl blue during visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue with ZnBiErO4 or N-doped TiO2 as catalyst followed the first-order reaction kinetics. Moreover, the apparent first-order rate constant of ZnBiErO4 or N-doped TiO2 was 0.01607 min-1 or 0.00435 min-1. The reduction of total organic carbon, formation of inorganic products, such as SO42- and NO3- and the evolution of CO2 revealed the continuous mineralization of methyl blue during the photocatalytic process. ZnBiErO4 photocatalyst had great potential to purify textile industry wastewater.