LAUSR

Bismuth compounds have been greatly spurred due to their extensive applicaton in photocatalysis which is a promising technique for environmental decontamination. In this research, Bi2TiO4F2 hierarchically porous hollow spheres are successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal method. X-ray powder diffraction patterns show that the sample has an Aurivillius-type layered perovskite structure. The electron microscopy analyses reveal that the obtained hierarchical hollow spheres have a porous surface composed of interlaced nanoplates. The formation and growth mechanisms of the product are proposed based on the time-dependent evolution experiments. The band gap of the prepared Bi2TiO4F2 sample is measured to about 2.85 eV. The photocatalytic activity and mechanisms are systematically explored. The results demonstrate that the product can be effectively served as catalyst for degradation of Rhodamine B and methyl orange under UV-light irradiation via the photocatalytic reaction, and also can be used in visible-light degradation of Rhodamine B via the photosensitization process.