Bi(2)O(3)–BiFeO(3) Glass-Ceramic: Controllable β-/γ-Bi(2)O(3) Transformation and Application as Magnetic Solar-Driven Photocatalyst for Water Decontamination

[Image: see text] Glass and glass-ceramic materials containing photoactive and magnetic crystalline phases were prepared from Fe(2)O(3) and Bi(2)O(3) using the conventional melt method. All samples were characterized in terms of formed phases, morphological analyses, optical properties, and magnetic properties. Formation of the photoactive tetragonal β- and body-centered cubic γ-Bi(2)O(3) phases along with the magnetic BiFeO(3) and Fe(3)O(4) phases was revealed. However, the crystalline structure relied on the composition and the applied heat-treatment time. β-/γ-Bi(2)O(3) transformation could be controlled by the heat-treatment time. The samples exhibited variable magnetic properties depending on their composition. All of the samples showed excellent absorbance in visible light with an optical band gap of 1.90–2.22 eV, making them ideal for solar-light-driven photocatalysis. The best performance was recorded for the sample containing equal amounts of Fe(2)O(3) and Bi(2)O(3) due to the formation of γ-Bi(2)O(3)/BiFeO(3) heterojunction in this sample.