Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of phenol and rhodamine B over flower-like BiOBr decorated by C70

In this study, flower-like BiOBr photocatalyst was prepared by a facile hydrothermal approach with the assistance of C₇₀. C₇₀/BiOBr photocatalyst was characterized by a serials method. The presence of C₇₀ promotes the specific surface area and induces BiOBr to form unique flower-like structure as template as well as boosts the surface hydroxyl content. Originating from powerful electron acceptability of C₇₀, C₇₀/BiOBr holds high separation rate of photo-excited carriers, resulting in formation of high level of • O₂⁻ and • OH. All these advantage factors endow with C₇₀/BiOBr enhanced photocatalytic activity toward degradation of phenol and rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated sunlight irradiation. Moreover, C₇₀/BiOBr possesses good stability due to the strong chemical interaction between C₇₀ and BiOBr, proven by XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization. The study provides a valid strategy to design and prepare high-performance sunlight-driven BiOBr-based photocatalysts.