Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

One-Step Synthesis of Basic Bismuth Nitrate and Bismuth Metal Composite (Bi/BBN) to Enhance Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Soghra Yaghoobi Rahni 1
Habibollah Younesi 2
1 Instructor, Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Velayat University, Iranshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran
2 Prof., Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
10.22093/wwj.2025.524151.3494
Abstract
Bismuth basic salts have wide applications due to their low cost and non-toxicity, and are at present being studied as photocatalysts. This research focuses on the one-step synthesis of a basic bismuth nitrate and bismuth metal (Bi) composite using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reducing agent in the hydrothermal synthesis to enhance its photocatalytic efficiency in degrading the Rhodamine B dye. Results showed that adding NaBH4 leads to the improvement of the three-dimensional meshing-tooth structure composed of 2D sheets and the formation of metallic bismuth on the BBN surface, and the creation of structural defects. These modifications result in enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of BBN. FTIR and UV-Vis DRS analyses revealed the presence of nitrate groups and a reduction in bandgap from 3.33 to 3.09 eV. The sample synthesized with 0.0075 g of NaBH4 demonstrated the highest photocatalytic activity in Rhodamine B degradation, with more than 95% of the Rhodamine B dye solution removed by UV-C 6W during 30 min. This is attributed to the surface plasmonic effect of metallic bismuth and efficient light harvesting by the layered structure.
Keywords
Basic Bismuth Nitrate
Hydrothermal Synthesis
Photocatalyst
3D Structure
Rhodamine B

Subjects

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Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)
Volume 36, Issue 1 - Serial Number 156
March and April 2025
Pages 43-57