A fast and moderate solvothermal method for Bi60In2O93 microspheres: Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties

A visible-light response Bi60In2O93 microsphere was synthesized via a facile solvothermal reaction for photocataytic degradation of organic pollutants. Bi60In2O93 displays an excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity. Experimental results reveal that the morphology of Bi60In2O93 microspheres is largely dependent on the reaction condition of the amount of In(NO3)3·4.5H2O and temperature. The photocatalytic activity of Bi60In2O93 was probed by the degradation efficiency of tetracycline. The degradation efficiency of tetracycline reaches 82.1 % within 1 h under the visible-light irradiation with the assistance of Bi60In2O93. The remarkable photocatalytic performance on Bi60In2O93 microsphere was attributed to efficient electron-hole separation. The reactive species trapping experiment results indicated that the h+ and •O2– are the major active species of the degradation of tetracycline.