Green Assembly of Covalently Linked BiOBr/Graphene Composites for Efficient Visible Light Degradation of Dyes

A novel high-performance BiOBr@graphene (BiOBr@G) photocatalyst with a new assembly structure had been demonstrated using a facile hydrothermal method through chemical bonding of reduced graphene oxide and structure-defined BiOBr flakes for improving charge separation and transfer performance, which were first synthesized at room temperature in immiscible solvents without corrosive acids. The prepared samples were characterized, and the BiOBr@G composite realized an efficient assembly portfolio of graphene and BiOBr flakes with defined structures, verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in which BiOBr flakes were covalently linked with the assembled graphene sheets through the Bi–C bond. This composite exhibited remarkable visible light absorbance and efficient photoinduced charge splitting characteristics in comparison with those of pure BiOBr, as established by DRS absorption, photoluminescence radiation, and photocurrent study. Hence, a very small amount (5 mg) of the BiOBr@G composite displayed a complete photodegradation effect on the rhodamine B dye under only 15 min of visible light excitation, which was three times faster than that of pure BiOBr and extremely superior to that of commercial P25. This was probably ascribed to the well-defined BiOBr structure itself, elevated light absorbance, and Bi–C chemical bond inducing quick charge separation and transfer in the BiOBr@G composite. Additionally, investigations on the photocatalytic mechanism displayed that the photogenerated holes in the BiOBr valence band and derivative superoxide radicals played vital roles in the photodegradation of RhB dyes, as reinforced by the electron spin resonance method, where the covalent linking of BiOBr and graphene served as an effective pathway for charge transportation.