Improving mechanical properties of basalt fiber via ion exchange and photocatalytic performance of BiOI loading

This study addresses critical challenges associated with fiber-supported photocatalysts, including complex preparation procedures, degradation of mechanical properties, low ion utilization efficiency in precursor solutions, and weak interactions between the photocatalyst and the fiber. To address these challenges, K + /Na + ion exchange coupled with solvothermal synthesis was employed to modify basalt fiber cloth (BFc) by synthesizing BiOI. The mechanical properties of BFc were significantly enhanced through the ion exchange process. The key findings include the synthesis of BiOI nanoflower spheres (0.6–1.2 μm) on BFc, which are smaller than those reported in previous studies (2–9 μm). BiOI forms stable Bi-O-Si linkages with BFc, thereby resulting in a highly stable composite. The BiOI/BFc composite exhibited increases of 12.59% in tensile strength and 20.88% in elastic modulus compared to pure BFc. Moreover, the composite demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic performance and long-term stability in RhB degradation, with the reaction rate constant (k) increasing as the temperature rose. The primary active species involved in the reaction were •O 2 − and h + . This study presents a novel approach for the preparation of BFc-based composites with enhanced performance.