Synthesis of Bi2O3 architectures in DMF–H2O solution by precipitation method and their photocatalytic activity

•Nanobrick-based flowerlike Bi2O3 crystals with pineapple surface were synthesized by precipitation method.•Good solubility of Bi(NO3)3 in DMF played a crucial role in the growth of flowerlike Bi2O3.•The growth mechanism of Bi2O3 microcrystallites has been explained in detail.

Well-crystalline flowerlike α-Bi2O3 hierarchical architectures with pineapple-shaped petals have been synthesized by precipitation method at a volume ratio of DMF/H2O of 5, where DMF and H2O were used to dissolve Bi(NO3)3 and KOH, respectively. If the DMF/H2O ratio was decreased to 2:1, 1:1 and 0:30, flower-, bundle- and dendrite-shaped α-Bi2O3 microcrystallites aggregated by nanorods were formed, respectively. The simple synthetic route and thus obtained Bi2O3 architectures of various morphologies provide a basis insight for their formation mechanism. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared Bi2O3 particles for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation was obviously influenced by their morphologies. Bi2O3 of nanorod-based microstructures exhibited higher photodegradation activity than nanobrick-based ones, owing to higher light absorption and carrier separation efficiency in one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials.

Graphical abstractFlowerlike α-Bi2O3 architectures assembled by nanobrick-based petals with pineapple surface were firstly synthesized by precipitation method at room temperature in DMF–H2O solution.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide