Iodine-Deficient BiO I Coupling with Bi O for Degradation of Volatile Organic Compounds under Simulated Sunlight Irradiation.

A photocatalyst with a high separation efficiency of carriers is crucial for the photocatalytic efficient decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this work, a new iodine-deficient BiO I /Bi O photocatalyst was developed through a solvothermal approach coupled with thermal decomposition. The 2 wt % BiO I /Bi O sample demonstrated optimal photocatalytic activity for the degradation of toluene, achieving a 55.1 % mineralization ratio under 8 h of irradiation, which was 14.9 and 2.1 times higher than those of BiO I and Bi O , respectively. Compared with BiO I and Bi O , 2 wt % BiO I /Bi O exhibited the weakest fluorescence band, highest photocurrent density, and lowest impedance; thus suggesting that Bi O compounded by 2 wt % BiO I distinctly promoted the separation efficiency of carriers. The hydroxyl radical ( OH) was the main active species, apart from holes, for the photocatalytic degradation of toluene.