Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of New Photocatalyst ZnBiSbO(4) under Visible Light Irradiation

In this paper, ZnBiSbO(4) was synthesized by a solid-state reaction method for the first time. The structural and photocatalytic properties of ZnBiSbO(4) had been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and UV-visible spectrometer. ZnBiSbO(4) crystallized with a pyrochlore-type structure and a tetragonal crystal system. The band gap of ZnBiSbO(4) was estimated to be 2.49 eV. The photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine was realized under visible light irradiation with ZnBiSbO(4) as a catalyst compared with nitrogen-doped TiO(2) (N-TiO(2)) and CdBiYO(4). The results showed that ZnBiSbO(4) owned higher photocatalytic activity compared with N-TiO(2) or CdBiYO(4) for the photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine under visible light irradiation. The reduction of the total organic carbon, the formation of inorganic products, SO(4)(2−) and NO(3)(−), and the evolution of CO(2) revealed the continuous mineralization of indigo carmine during the photocatalytic process. One possible photocatalytic degradation pathway of indigo carmine was obtained. The phytotoxicity of the photocatalytic-treated indigo carmine (IC) wastewater was detected by examining its effect on seed germination and growth.