Facile synthesizing Z-scheme Bi12O15Cl6/InVO4 heterojunction to effectively degrade pollutants and antibacterial under light-emitting diode light.

A novel Z-scheme heterostructure of Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /InVO 4 composite was synthesized by a hydrothermal and calcination process. The composite exhibited excellent degradation and antibacterial properties against TC, RhB, E. coli , and S. aureus under LED light. The synergistic effect of Z-scheme heterostructure played an important role in photocatalytic process. h+, •OH and •O 2 − are all active species in the photocatalytic reaction. The synthesis of Z-scheme Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /InVO 4 heterojunction provides a new idea with great potential for application in environmental governance. [Display omitted] The design of a photocatalytic system with Z-scheme heterojunction is the key to charge separation. In this paper, a simple synthesis method was used to prepare Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /InVO 4 photocatalyst. The synthesized photocatalyst can effectively degrade pollutants, and inactivate bacteria under LED light irradiation. The optimal ratio of 30% Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /InVO 4 material effectively degraded 78.85% of TC and 97.83% of RhB within 90 min and inactivated Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in 40 min. This improvement in photocatalytic performance is mainly due to the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction between Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 and InVO 4 , which produces effective charge separation and improves photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial activity. The capture experiment revealed the main active substances. The effects of catalyst dosage and pollutant concentration were investigated in details. The intermediates of TC degradation were identified by mass spectrometry (MS), and the possible photocatalytic degradation pathway was proposed. Capture experiment and related measurements proposed the Z-scheme mechanism. This work emphasizes the importance of heterogeneous structure construction and proposes feasible solutions for the rational design of catalysts with photodegradation and antibacterial properties under LED light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]