LAUSR

Abstract A novel particle-nanosheet CeO2/BiOIO3 composites with Ce4+/Ce3+ redox centers and oxygen vacancies were successfully prepared via hydrothermal and calcination schemes. Then the as-prepared samples were analyzed with SEM, TEM, XRD, EPR and other characterizations for the morphology, elemental composition and chemical state. Photocatalytic performance of the CeO2/BiOIO3 composites was evaluated by the removal ability of gas-phase Hg0. It is clearly illustrated that the conjunction of CeO2 with BiOIO3 regulatory band structure effectively reduced the band gap, which can promote the utilization of visible solar light. Furthermore, abundant Ce4+/Ce3+ redox centers and oxygen vacancies on the catalyst surface can promote carrier separation and transfer efficiency. Therefore, combining the above advantages, the best photocatalytic mercury removal efficiency of CeO2/BiOIO3 reached 86.53%, which is 1.3 times higher than that of the pure BiOIO3. Based on the experimental results, the photocatalytic mechanism of CeO2/BiOIO3 heterostructure has been proposed. The catalyst design scheme in this work can provide new ideas for catalyst modification, which can be widely used in solar energy utilization and environmental restoration.