Synthesis of In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/BiOCl Composite Photocatalyst and its Photocatalytic Activity for the Degradation of Rhodamine B under Visible Light Irradiation

We report on the synthesis and photocatalytic activity of 10 wt% In 2 O 3 /BiOCl composite photocatalyst. The 10 wt% In 2 O 3 /BiOCl composite photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple chemical coprecipitation method at room temperature followed by thermal treatment at 400 °C for 2 h. During thermal treatment at 400 °C for 2 h, the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation occurs in In 2 O 3 . Pure BiOCl possesses flower-like nanostructures composed of nanoplates with single-crystal nature. With the incorporation of 10 wt% In 2 O 3 , the morphology of the composite photocatalyst is mainly constituted of particles with two different forms: nanoflowers of BiOCl and nanoparticles of In 2 O 3 . The effect of 10 wt% In 2 O 3 on the photocatalytic activity of the composite photocatalyst was evaluated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The 10 wt% In 2 O 3 /BiOCl composite photocatalyst shows enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure BiOCl. Based on the results obtained in this study, the mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of 10 wt% In 2 O 3 /BiOCl composite photocatalyst is discussed.