Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Bi2O3/H-ZSM-5 composite for rhodamine B degradation under UV light irradiation

Bi2O3/H-ZSM-5 composite photocatalysts were synthesized via a facile ion-exchange method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) were employed to study the phase structure, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized samples. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light irradiation. The results showed that, at the optimal loading with 18 wt.% Bi2O3, the Bi2O3/H-ZSM-5 composite photocatalyst acquires the highest photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation reaction could be expressed by the first-order reaction kinetic model. The increased photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Bi2O3 and H-ZSM-5. The special structure of H-ZSM-5 increases the number of the active sites to adsorb more dye and photodegrade it on Bi2O3 photocatalyst.