Carbon dots and Bi4O5Br2 adhered on TiO2 nanoparticles: Impressively boosted photocatalytic efficiency for removal of pollutants under visible light

To expand efficient photocatalysts for water purification, carbon dots and Bi4O5Br2 were decorated on TiO2 nanoparticles via a facile method to construct high-efficiency TiO2/Cdots/Bi4O5Br2 photocatalysts. The photo-electrochemical, textural, optical, structural, and morphological characteristics of the nanocomposites were studied via various techniques. The photocatalytic experiments confirmed that the TiO2/Cdots/Bi(4)O(5)Br(2 )photocatalyst with 20 wt% of Bi4O5Br2 has the greatest ability in elimination of MO, fuchsine, and RhB, which is almost 24.3, 30.7, and 31.5-folds premier than the bare TiO2 and 2.9, 1.8, and 2.4-folds as much as the TiO2/Cdots (0.5 mL) nanocomposite, respectively. This boosted photoability in the ternary photocatalyst was ascribed to the synergistic interactions between TiO2, Cdots, and Bi4O5Br2, more effective charge transportation, and enhancing the absorption of visible light. The trapping experiments revealed that the important species in the degradation process are h(+) and O-center dot(2)-. Besides, the fabricated ternary photocatalyst showed acceptable stability. This study supplies new idea to the construction of visible-light-induced photocatalysts based on TiO2 for efficient degradation of water contaminants.