Bismuth titanate nanorods and their visible light photocatalytic properties

Bismuth titanate nanorods have been prepared using a facile hydrothermal process without additives. The bismuth titanate products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and UV–vis diffusion reflectance spectrum. XRD pattern shows that the bismuth titanate nanorods are composed of cubic Bi 2 Ti 2 O 7 phase. Electron microscopy images show that the length and diameter of the bismuth titanate nanorods are 50–200   nm and 2   μm, respectively. Hydrothermal temperature and reaction time play important roles on the formation and size of the bismuth titanate nanorods. UV–vis diffusion reflectance spectrum indicates that bismuth titanate nanorods have a band gap of 2.58   eV. The bismuth titanate nanorods exhibit good photocatalytic activities in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B ( RB ) under visible light irradiation. The bismuth titanate nanorods with cubic Bi 2 Ti 2 O 7 phase are a promising candidate as a visible light photocatalyst.