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Highlights • The loosening of the structure and increasing the particle size of the photocatalysts due to ILs use. • ILs caused the increase of specific surface area and pore volume. • The beneficial influence of the ILs use on the energy band gap value of bismuth-based semiconductors. • ILs used as a halogen source improved the photocatalytic activity of bismuth oxyhalides. Abstract This is the first report of the effect of the ILs cation type (imidazolium, pyridinium and pyrrolidinium) on the morphology, surface properties and photoactivity of BiOX semiconductors type obtained by solvothermal method in glycerol. The various ionic liquids (IL) cation type as a halogen source and templating agent for the synthesis of the bismuth oxyhalides nanoparticles has been systematically investigated. The role of ILs in synthesis of the semiconductors was loosening of the structure and increasing the particle size of semiconductors. It was also found that ILs increased specific surface area and pore volume of bismuth oxyhalides. Rhodamine B and 5-fluorouracil were used as the model contaminates to evaluate the adsorption capacity and photooxidation performance of studied BiOX. Removal of chromium (VI) from acidic solution were demonstrated photoreduction ability of BiOX. Generally the activity of bismuth oxyhalides was better for the samples prepared with ILs, although the increase in activity was different for various ionic liquids. The changes of band gap structure were major causes of the enhanced photocatalytic activity of bismuth oxyhalides with ILs as the halogen source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Highly efficient nanocomposites were obtained solvothermally. • 5-fluorouracil was oxidized major by h+ and minor by O 2 – • The roles of B:DGNW in enhancing photocatalytic activity were complex. • Cytostatic drug was effectively photooxidized in actual fresh and sea waters. • (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr-1.5%B:DGNW is a promising material for water purification. In this work, a series of novel (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr-x%B:DGNW (x = 0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%) composites with different content of boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowalls (B:DGNW) were fabricated by simple solvothermal synthesis. A boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowalls (B:DGNW) were prepared by CVD method. A series of analyses: XRD, XPS, SEM, and TEM showed that the photocatalyst (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr-x%B:DGNW with a "flower-like" morphology was successfully synthesized. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained composites in the degradation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in various water matrices (deionized water, sea, and surface water) under the influence of artificial solar radiation was assessed. The results showed that all the prepared (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr-x%B:DGNW composites were characterized by excellent photocatalytic activity. The calculated pseudo-first rate constant for 5-FU degradation increased with the elevation of amount of B:DGNW up to 1.5% in (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr, and it dropped down to value obtained for non-riched material by B:DGNW, when of 2% B:DGNW was introduced to composite. The results showed that B:DGNW play a key role in the separation of charge carriers h+/e- enhancing degradation rate of 5-FU. The photoactivity of (BiO) 2 OHCl/BiOBr-1.5%B:DGNW composite to 5-FU removal was also satisfied in natural water, although its structure has changed in seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]