Large-scale synthesis of self-assembled ultralong cannonite nanobelt film as a visible-light photocatalyst

A high-efficiency cannonite Bi2O(OH)(2)SO4 nanobelt photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as both the coordinating agent and sulfur source through hydrolytic reaction based on a facile one-step hydrothermal process. Surface morphology analysis indicates that the products consist of ultralong nanobelts with widths around 30-50 nm, thicknesses of approximately 10 nm and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers. It is worth noting that these single crystalline nanobelts are self-assembled in the form of macroscopic architecture suspended in the solution which could be transferred onto substrates as thin films on a large scale. The as-prepared cannonite nanobelt films exhibit high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic dye wastewater such as rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue, methyl orange and Congo red aqueous solutions under visible-light irradiation and have advantages of easy catalyst separation and recovery over commonly used powder-form catalysts. This new promising photocatalyst shows potential application in the treatment of dye-containing wastewaters.