Preparation and photocatalytic properties of Bi2InNbO7 nanorods obtained by the sol-gel method

摘要

The Bi2InNbO7 photocatalyst with rod-like nanostructure was synthesised by a facile sol-gel method, using Bi(NO3)(3)5H(2)O, In(NO3)(3)45H(2)O and Nb2O5 as raw materials. The structural, surface morphological, specific surface area and optical properties of the samples have been studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated for degradation of metronidazole in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. Different parameters like substrate concentration, catalyst concentration and different pH have been studied. The resulting Bi2InNbO7 nanorods exhibit high crystallinity with 10-50 nm diameters and BET surface area of 33.19 m(2)/g. It was observed that the photodegradation of metronidazole under visible light in the presence of Bi2InNbO7 nanorods is more efficient than its bulk counterparts. The optimum conditions for the degradation of metronidazole were initial concentration 10 mg/L, catalyst concentration 0.8 g/L and pH 3.