Glucose assisted synthesis of the BiOCl/β-FeOOH composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance

• The BiOCl/β-FeOOH composite is prepared by glucose assisted hydrothermal method.
• The used glucose plays binding roles in the formation of the composite.
• The introduction of β-FeOOH effectively reduces the band gap of the composite.
• The composite exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance in degradation of RhB.

The BiOCl/β-FeOOH composite was prepared using one-step glucose assisted hydrothermal method at 100 °C. The as-synthesized sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic performance of the composite was evaluated through photo-degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. It was found that the used glucose played a significant role in the combination of the BiOCl with β-FeOOH. The obtained composite exhibited much better photocatalytic activity in degradation of RhB than the pure BiOCl and β-FeOOH, which would be of great promise for the industrial application of this catalyst to oxidize organic pollutants for wastewater treatment. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the introduction of β-FeOOH nanorods which leads to the relative reduction of the band gap (Eg) of the composite, because of which electrons and holes are easily generated.