Mesoporous-mixed-phase of hierarchical bismuth oxychlorides nanophotocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic application in treatment of antibiotic effluents

A mesoporous-mixed-phase of hierarchical bismuth rich-bismuth oxychlorides (BOC) was successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot sorbitol-nitrate solution auto-combustion synthesis with the various amounts of the sorbitol to oxidizer ratio (FR). The properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FESEM, PSD, EDS-Dot. mapping, TGA, BET-BJH, UV-Vis DRS and PL techniques. The results exhibited that the BOC (FR = 1; stoichiometric), as the grain-like mixed-phase with an intra-heterojunction between 59% BiOCl and 41% Bi24O31Cl10 indicated the higher activity and degradation rate as well as substantial stability after five cycles with high total open pore volume of 0.189 cm3/g, specific surface area of 93 m2/g, average pore width of 11 nm, meso-structure of pores, the formation of fine particles and defects, the suitable band gap, absorption of much light and the reduction of recombination related to the charge carriers.114