Fabrication of Er(3+)/Yb(3+) Co-Doped Bi(5)O(7)I Microsphere With Upconversion Luminescence and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Bisphenol A Degradation

Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped Bi(5)O(7)I uniform porous microsphere photocatalysts were synthesized by a two-step chemical method, which possesses excellent photocatalytic performance and upconversion luminescence property. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was studied by degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution under visible light and different monochromatic light irradiation. The photocatalytic performance of Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped Bi(5)O(7)I sample is better than that of the pristine Bi(5)O(7)I and Er(3+)-doped Bi(5)O(7)I samples. Moreover, Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped Bi(5)O(7)I possesses photocatalytic ability with a red light monochromatic LED lamp (3 W, λ = 630 nm) and an infrared monochromatic LED lamp (100 W, λ = 940 nm) irradiation whose wavelength is longer than the absorption-limiting wavelength of pristine Bi(5)O(7)I sample. This phenomenon further verified that the upconversion property of Er(3+) and Yb(3+) causes the improved photocatalytic efficiency of Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped Bi(5)O(7)I sample.