Direct hydrolysis preparation for novel bi-based oxysalts photocatalyst Bi6O5(OH)3(NO3)5·3H2O with high photocatalytic activity

Bi6O5(OH)3(NO3)5·3H2O was successfully prepared by a very facile direct hydrolysis process. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, DRS and PL. Bi6O5(OH)3(NO3)5·3H2O has an indirect-transition optical band-gap of 3.45 eV, and the ECB and EVB are estimated to be 0.75 eV and 4.20 eV, respectively. The as-prepared Bi6O5(OH)3(NO3)5·3H2O products showed different morphologies and microstructures with the change of pH value. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were determined by photooxidative decomposition of rhodamine-B (RhB) in aqueous solution. The results revealed that the sample obtained at pH 5 exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, which is much better than P25 and Bi-based photocatalyst Bi2O2CO3.