Facile hydrolysis synthesis of Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst with excellent visible light photocatalytic performance for the degradation of resorcinol

A Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst had been synthesized successfully through a facile, one-step, and energy-saving hydrolysis route. The crystal structure, morphology, composition, optical property, and specific surface area of the as-synthesized material were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, respectively. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of Bi4O5Br2 for resorcinol degradation under visible light irradiation was investigated systematically. The results revealed that the as-prepared Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst exhibited strong visible light absorption (band gap energy 2.0 eV), and large specific surface area (62.25 m(2) g(-1)), which resulted in the enhanced photocatalytic performance for resorcinol degradation. Compared with BiOBr and P25, the photocatalytic activity of Bi4O5Br2 was appropriately 31 and 12 times higher, respectively. The active oxygen species of h(+), (OH)-O-center dot, and O-center dot(2)- dominated the resorcinol degradation process over the Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst. In addition, the relatively high stability of Bi4O5Br2 will benefit its practical application for the treatment of other organic pollutants.