Graphene/BiOI composites synthesized via the oil bath method and their application for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation

Abstract

An efficient and simple oil bath method for rapid synthesis of graphene/BiOI as visible light active photocatalyst was described. The resultant graphene/BiOI composites were characterized by different techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared graphene/BiOI composites for methyl orange degradation was also investigated under visible light irradiation. The results show that BiOI and graphene taken with a mass ratio of 100: 1 exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency, which is two times that of pure BiOI. Part of this effect results from higher specific surface area that provides an increased number of active sites. A relatively narrow band gap (2.08 eV) formed in the heterostructure can also contribute to this effect. A suggestion of the photocatalytic mechanism was also offered.