Highly efficient and visible-light-driven BiOCl for photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine

Visible-light-driven BiOCl microspheres were directly synthesized via a facile one-pot ethylene glycol mediated solvothermal method. The crystallinity, surface, optical and electronic properties of BiOCl samples were highly depended on the precursor concentration. Benefiting from the exposed (110) facet and oxygen vacancy , BiOCl-10 (synthesized from 0.02 mol of Bi(NO 3 ) 3 ·5H 2 O) displayed a maximum CBZ degradation efficiency of 70% after 180 min under visible light illumination. The reaction kinetics rate constant ( k ) of CBZ degradation in BiOCl-10 (0.0935 min −1 ) was 52 times higher than ordinary BiOCl-1 (0.0018 min −1 ). The improved photocatalytic activities of BiOCl-10 were attributed to the combination of enhanced CBZ adsorption, increased visible light absorption and efficient separation of photogenerated e − - h + pairs. Radicals and holes trapping experiments showed that •O 2 − and h + were predominant active species in the photocatalytic process. Most importantly, BiOCl-10 was also efficient in natural water without any additive. Our findings indicate that the BiOCl-10 photocatalysis can be used as an efficient and cost-effective technology for removal of recalcitrant pharmaceutical contaminants.