pH-regulated template-free assembly of Sb4O5Cl2 hollow microsphere crystallites with self-narrowed bandgap and optimized photocatalytic performance.
Sb4O5Cl2 hollow microspheres with self-narrowed bandgap and optimized photocatalytic performances are synthesized via a facile template-free method. It is found that the crystal structure and morphology of Sb4O5Cl2 crystallites are strongly dependent on the pH values of precursors. Nano-sized irregular-cuboids assembled Sb4O5Cl2 micro-particles and hollow microspheres can be synthesized at pH 1 and 2, whereas individual Sb4O5Cl2 micro-belts become to form when the pH is higher than 3. The irregular-cuboids assembled Sb4O5Cl2 micro-particles and hollow microspheres exhibit self-narrowed bandgap and higher light absorption ability compared with individual Sb4O5Cl2 micro-belts. The photoelectrochemical measurements show that the assembled Sb4O5Cl2 hollow microsphere crystallites prepared at pH 2 exhibit enhanced carrier density, improved separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs and decreased electron-transfer resistance. As a result, the irregular-cuboids assembled Sb4O5Cl2 hollow microspheres prepared at pH = 2 exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of gaseous iso-propanol (IPA) and Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution. The good photocatalytic activity of Sb4O5Cl2 sample prepared at pH = 2 may be caused by the synergistic effect of its higher light absorption, the decreased electron-transfer resistance, the suppressed recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, and the increased surface area.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Weiyang, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China.
Liuqing
L
Yang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Weiyang, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China.
Jianfeng
J
Huang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Weiyang, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China.
Liyun
L
Cao
Environmental Remediation Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
Li
L
Shi
Environmental Remediation Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
Qing
Q
Yu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Weiyang, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China.
Xingang
X
Kong
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Weiyang, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China.
Yanni
Y
Jie