Lamellar insert SnS2 anchored on BiOBr for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant under visible-light

Abstract Constructing efficient and green photocatalysts to remove organic pollutants is of great significance to environmental purification. We used the facile one-pot hydrothermal method to couple lamellar SnS2 with RGO and BiOBr to synthesize a novel Z-scheme SnS2/RGO/BiOBr ternary photocatalyst. Compared with the single component, the obtained ternary composite material has enhanced photodegradation activity.It can be concluded that the 0.2SnS2/RGO/BiOBr composite exhibits the best performence,99.15% methylene blue removed after 15 min irradiation,reaching a 38.9% improvement compared to the pure BiOBr. Besides, the degradation rate of norfloxacin reached 81.6%. The excellent photocatalytic properties were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy, and a Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism appropriate for SnS2/RGO/BiOBr composite was proposed according to the results of UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and free radical capture experiments, in which RGO acted as an electron transfer medium to accelerate the transfer of photogenerated electrons between SnS2 and BiOBr, thereby effectively limiting the recombination of photogenerated carriers.