The Pt/h-BN/BiOBr composite towards photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A: the synergistic effect of h-BN and Pt

Semiconductor photocatalyst as a new type of green and sustainable energy material has extensively used in wastewater and gas treatment. In this work, we prepared Pt/h-BN/BiOBr composite by an alcohol-soluble hydrolysis-assisted photoreduction method. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of bisphenol A under simulated sunlight, and the degradation efficiency of BiOBr, h-BN/BiOBr, Pt/BiOBr, and Pt/h-BN/BiOBr were 55.13%, 74.91%, 89.00%, and 98.54%, respectively. The results showed single composited with h-BN or Pt could improve the photocatalytic performance of BiOBr, while double composited with h-BN and Pt could play a synergistic effect on further improving the activity. The interaction between h-BN and BiOBr was electrostatic interactions, and that Pt as a plasma metal was coupling with BiOBr due to its localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. The composition, morphology, optical property, and separation efficiency of photo-induced carriers and dominant active radicals were investigated. Based on the results, a possible mechanism was proposed. The excellent photocatalytic activity of Pt/h-BN/BiOBr composite photocatalyst could be attributed to the broadened light-response range after Pt loading, and enhanced electron–hole separation efficiency due to the electron capturer role of Pt and the hole transfer function of h-BN.