Facile one-step solvothermal synthesis of active carbon/BiOI microspheres with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity in the reduction of Cr(vi)

Active carbon/BiOI microspheres were first prepared using a facile one-step solvothermal route from Bi(NO(3))(3)·5H(2)O, KI, active carbon, and ethylene glycol. The phase structure, morphology, and optical properties of the as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra. HRTEM mapping results showed that within the composites, active carbon particles dispersed well onto BiOI spheres. The apparent variations in binding energies and photocurrent measurement results verified that the interactions between both components are strong. As a consequence, these active carbon/BiOI composites exhibit an enhanced photocatalytic reduction activity of Cr(vi) under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation when compared with pure BiOI. This work can strengthen the application of BiOI-based micromaterials in treating wastewater contaminated by highly toxic and intractable Cr(vi).