Graphene, charcoal, ZnO, and ZnS/BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I) hybrid microspheres for photocatalytic simulated real mixed dye treatments

•Graphene/BiOX, charcoal/BiOX, ZnO/BiOX, and ZnS/BiOX hybrid microspheres were synthesized by a solvothermal method.•Physicochemical properties of the hybrid materials were fully examined.•Adsorption and photocatalytic dye degradation were fully tested for mixed dye (MO + RhB + MB) under visible light.•Adsorption and photocatalytic properties in a complicated dye system were discussed.

Graphene, charcoal, ZnO, and ZnS/BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I) hybrid microspheres were synthesized for use in the photocatalytic treatment of a mixed dye of MO (methyl orange), RhB (rhodamine B), and MB (methylene blue) solution. The dye degradation rate was generally observed in the order of RhB < MB < MO. The order became MB < RhB < MO for ZnO/BiOI and ZnS/BiOI. The catalysts hybridized with BiOI generally showed superior adsorption capacity to those of the materials hybridized with BiOCl or BiOBr. The 10 mol% ZnO/BiOI and ZnS/BiOI showed selectivity for MB adsorption in the mixed dye.

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