Synthesis of bismuth ferrite-activated carbon (BFO-AC) nanoparticles and their characterization

Abstract

Bismuth Ferrite-Activated Carbon (BFO-AC) nanocomposite was synthesized by ultrasonication method. Different ratios of activated carbon (AC) have been employed in the synthesized of BFO-AC nanocomposite. The as- prepared BFO-AC were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible diffuse reflection spectrum (DRS) and field emission scanning emerging microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. For XRD analysis, all samples show sharp and intense diffraction peaks indicating the high crystallinity of BFO-AC. The absorption edge of all the prepared samples were found within visible light range (400-700 nm). Bismuth ferrite-to-activated carbon’s ratio of 1:1.5 was found to have lower band gap of 1.86 eV compared to other ratios, which promoted an enhancement in absorption of visible light. FE-SEM analysis showed the BFO nanoparticles lie on the surface of AC. It was observed that different loading ratios of AC have shown a significant influence on the properties of BFO photocatalyst. Thus, it is essential to develop a remarkable BFO-AC nanocomposite to provide more efficient photocatalyst to be activated under visible light region in photocatalytic activity.