Regulation of band edge and specific surface area of BixInyOCl microsphere for excellent photocatalytic performance

In order to solve the problem of low efficiency of existing photocatalyst in wastewater treatment, BiOCl and Bi x In y OCl solid solution photocatalysts with different indium element content were prepared by one-step solvothermal method. The solid solution of indium element greatly affects the porous structure and specific surface area of BiOCl, and the specific surface area of BiInOCl-0.5 is 9.26 times that of BiOCl, which provides abundant active sites for photocatalytic reaction. Furthermore, after indium element solid solution, the conduction band and valence band potentials of BiOCl shift towards negative and positive, respectively, enhancing the redox capacity of the photogenerated electrons and holes. Thus, BiInOCl shows excellent photocatalytic performances for reduction of Cr(VI), degradation of norfloxacin, dyes and even industrial cotton pulp wastewater. This provides a possibility for the practical application of photocatalytic technology in industrial wastewater treatment.