TITLE:
Bismuth Oxide Carbonate Structures Synthesized by Microwave—Assisted Solvothermal Approach and Its Use as Catalyst for the Degradation of Azo Dye in a Solution
AUTHORS:
M. A. Luna-Alvarado, M. Estrada-Flores, M. E. Manríquez-Ramírez, C. M. Reza-San Germán
KEYWORDS:
Carbonate Bismuth Oxide, Photocatalysis, Microwave-Solvothermal Synthesis, Methylene Blue, Degradation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.7 No.6,
November
29,
2019
ABSTRACT: Because the textile industry wastewater is polluted with azo dyes, and in order to improve a process of wastewater remediation, the synthesized sample was evaluated in the photocatalysis of methylene blue and compared with commercial Bi2O3 and anatase TiO2. Structures of bismuth oxide carbonate (Bi2O2CO3) were successfully synthesized using a solution at 0.03 M concentration of sodium bismuthate as precursor and ethylene glycol as dissolvent by solvothermal microwave-assisted approach. The semiconductor catalyst samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XDR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET). The application of the synthesized sample as catalyst, obtained a 68% of degradation. This result is better than the commercial Bi2O3 and close to the anatase TiO2 degradation. This sample shows a variation in the formula (with the presence of carbonates) but also shows an acceptable degradation percentage according to TiO2 results, making Bi2O2CO3 a possible substitute of TiO2.