Solution combustion synthesis of heterostructure bismuth titanate nanocomposites: Structural phases and its correlation with photocatalytic activity

Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by simple and cost effective solution combustion synthesis route. The structural, textural, surface composition and optical properties of Bi2O3/TiO2 solid solutions are influenced by the type of fuel, viz., urea and glycine used in the combustion process and its concentration. The prepared materials were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-vis, photoluminescence and N2 adsorption study. The obtained materials were evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and water splitting reaction for H2 generation under visible light irradiation. The BT-5 sample shows high photocatalytic activity which may be due to the supressed recombination of photo-generated electron hole pairs and the appropriate lattice match by the formation of Bi4Ti3O12-β-Bi2O3 p-n heterojunction phases.