Preparation of Uniform BiOI Nanoflowers with Visible Light-Induced Photocatalytic Activity

Novel 3D flower-like bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) nanomaterials were obtained via a facile solvothermal method using bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3) and potassium iodide (KI) as precursors and diethylene glycol as the capping reagent. The morphology of the BiOI nanoarchitecture strongly depends on the experimental conditions such as the presence of diethylene glycol and hydrothermal time. The photocatalytic property of the BiOI nanostructures by monitoring the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) mixed dyes was studied under visible light illumination, which has not been reported previously. The degradation of single cationic RhB dye is faster when compared with that of anionic MO dye. This result is due to the surface negative charges on the BiOI nanoflowers that display good selectivity towards positive RhB dye organic groups owing to electrostatic attraction.