Preparation of Bi3O4Br/BiOCl composite via ion-etching method and its excellent photocatalytic activity

Bi3O4Br/BiOCl composite was synthesized using a facile ion-etching method with Bi3O4Br and HCl solution as precursors. Characterization results proved the formation of the binary system via controlling HCl amount. Photocatalytic test indicated that the synthesized Bi3O4Br/BiOCl composite has excellent photocatalytic activity in Rhodamine B degradation, mainly due to the enhanced separation efficiency of charge carriers. The optimal sample presents a degradation rate of 0.019 min−1, which is 3.1 and 6.3 times higher than that of pure BiOCl and Bi3O4Br, respectively.