The enhancement in photocatalytic activity of bismuth modified silica and bismuth silicate nanofibers

We investigated photocatalytic and adsorption properties of silica (SiO2), bismuth (Bi) modified silica and bismuth silicate (Bi4(SiO4)3) nanofibers. Nanofiber average diameter was ~ 150 nm and length was several micrometers. The bandgap of SiO2 decreased with increased Bi content and its value was 3.7 eV for Bi4(SiO4)3. The Bi-modified photocatalyst (nanofibers) exhibited enhanced degradation efficiency as compared to pure nanofibers. The pseudo first order kinetic model explained the photocatalytic kinetics of the photocatalyst with rate constants of 0.081 min− 1 and 0.406 min− 1 for SiO2 and Bi4(SiO4)3 nanofibers, respectively.