LAUSR

The present article deals with 2Bi2O3-B2O3 (BBO) glass whose photocatalytic activity has been enhanced by the method of wet etching using an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF). X-ray diffraction of the samples reveals that etching with an aqueous solution of HF leads to the formation of BiF3 and BiO0.1F2.8 phases. Surface morphology obtained from scanning electron microscopy show granular and plate-like morphology on the etched glass samples. Rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) has been used to investigate the photocatalytic activity of the as-quenched and etched glasses. Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity was observed in HF etched glass-ceramics compared to the as-quenched BBO glass. Contact angle of the as-quenched glass was 90.2°, which decreases up to 20.02° with an increase in concentration of HF in the etching solution. Enhanced photocatalytic activity and increase in the hydrophilic nature suggests the efficient treatment of water pollutants by using the prepared surface crystallized glass–ceramics.