SbSI nanowires and CNTs encapsulated with SbSI as photocatalysts with high visible-light driven photoactivity

• Published in: Molecular catalysis 2017-07, Vol.436, p.174-181
• Main Authors: Tasviri, Mahboubeh, Sajadi-Hezave, Zahra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CNTs; Dye; Photocatalytic degradation; SbSI nanowire; Water purification
• ISSN: 2468-8231; 2468-8231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mcat.2017.04.020

[Display omitted] •A facile synthetic strategy was applied to prepare visible-light responsive SbSI nanowires and SbSI encapsulated in CNTs.•Both SbSI-NWs and SbSI@CNTs showed appropriate photocatalytic efficiency.•Obtained SbSI@CNTs exhibited excellent stability and higher photoactivity than SbSI-NWs.•Possible mechanism of Acid Blue 92 degradation proceeds through super oxide radicals mainly. Antimony sulfoiodide nanowires (SbSI-NWs) were fabricated via a facile short time sonochemical reaction to form a new visible light responsive photocatalyst. Identifying techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), emission electron microscopy (SEM), BET surface area analysis, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) were employed to characterize the as-prepared specimen. A remarkably high visible light photocatalytic activity was revealed for SbSI-NWs toward the degradation of Acid Blue 92 organic dye in aqueous solution. As results confirmed, photogenerated superoxide radicals (O2−) play the major role in the photo-oxidation reaction. Meanwhile, to enhance the photocatalytic activity and to deal with the low photostability of SbSI-NWs, they were grown inside the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) lead to the formation of CNTs encapsulated with SbSI (SbSI@CNTs) nanocomposite. The photodegradation process was much more efficient in the presence of SbSI@CNTs compare to the pure SbSI-NWs.