Metastable β-Bi2O3 Nanoparticles with Potential for Photocatalytic Water Purification Using Visible Light Irradiation.

ABSTRACT: Photocatalytic studies under visible light irradiation using nanosized β-Bi2O3 are reported. β-Bi2O3 nanoparticles are prepared starting from the well-defined bismuth oxido cluster [Bi38O45(OMc)24(DMSO)9]⋅2 DMSO⋅7 H2O (OMc=O2CC3H5) using a straightforward hydrolysis and annealing protocol. Powder X-ray diffraction studies, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance UV/Vis spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption measurements (using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) theory) are used for the characterization of the as-prepared β-Bi2O3. By time-dependent annealing, the crystallite size can be controlled between (17±2) nm and (45±5) nm with BET surface areas of 7 to 29 m(2) g(-1). The indirect band gap of the as-prepared β-Bi2O3 amounts to (2.15±0.05) eV. The decomposition rates for rhod

SUBMITTER: Schlesinger M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3775521 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature