Synthesis of BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) Heterojunction with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible-Light Irradiation

BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a simple two-step hydrothermal process, which involved the initial formation of BiPO(4) rod and then the attachment of Bi(2)S(3) through ion exchange. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS). It was found that BiPO(4) was regular rods with smooth surfaces. However, BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) heterojunction had a rough surface, which could be attributed to the attachment of Bi(2)S(3) on the surface of BiPO(4) rods. The BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) composite exhibited better photocatalytic performance than that of pure BiPO(4) and Bi(2)S(3) for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be ascribed to synergistic effect of BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) heterojunction, in which the attached Bi(2)S(3) nanoparticles could improve visible-light absorption and the BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) heterojunction suppressed the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Our work suggested that BiPO(4)/Bi(2)S(3) heterojunction could be a potential photocatalyst under visible light.