Photocatalytic activities of CaBi2Ta2O9- and Dy3+/Eu3+-doped CaBi2Ta2O9 nanosheets

To investigate the influence of Dy3+/Eu3+ doping on the photocatalytic activity of CaBi2Ta2O9, we synthesized CaBi2Ta2O9 and Dy3+/Eu3+-doped CaBi2Ta2O9 photocatalysts via a molten salt method. The phase, microstructure, optical and photochemical characteristics, as well as the photocatalytic activities, were investigated. The XRD measurements indicate that the synthesized photocatalysts belong to the orthorhombic system. The SEM photos demonstrate that the products are sheets with thicknesses of ∼100 nm and different lengths. The photocatalytic activity is enhanced after Dy3+/Eu3+ doping, which is induced by a more efficient harvest of light and more efficient separation of the photogenerated e−−h+ pairs.