Loess particles loaded petaloid Bi2S3 nanowires for highly efficient photodegradation of dyesunder sunlight

Abstract

In this paper, using loess particles (LoP), a kind of extremely common and inexpensive natural silicate particles with metastable structure, as inorganic carrier, the petaloid Bi₂S₃nanowires have been loaded by in-situ depositing, which afforded loess particles loaded petaloid Bi₂S₃nanowires (PBiNw@LoP) with one-step hydrothermal procedure. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and adsorption-desorption isotherms of N₂ have been employed to characterize the prepared composite photocatalyst. The results show that the petaloid Bi₂S₃nanowires are evenly dispersed on the loose surface of loess particles. The photocatalytic activity of PBiNw@LoP is evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) irradiated with sunlight. It is demonstrated that PBiNw@LoP exhibits the superior photocatalytic performance with the photocatalytic degradation rate of 99.5%. The petaloid Bi₂S₃nanowires with larger specific surface helps to absorb light, while the loose surface of loess with certain adsorption capacity. Therefore, the photocatalytic activity has been improved by the synergistic effect in photodegradation of dyes, while the ratio of Bi₂S₃ in catalyst is decreased without affecting the photodegradation performance. In conclusion, a cheap and efficient photocatalyst has been successfully prepared for the degradation of dye wastewater.