Direct Z-scheme CaTiO3@BiOBr composite photocatalysts with enhanced photodegradation of dyes.

To efficiently separate photoexcited electron/hole pairs is one of the key points for achieving excellent photocatalysts with high photocatalytic performances. To achieve this aim, here we have assembled CaTiO3 (CTO) nanoparticles onto BiOBr microplates, thus constructing novel Z-scheme CTO@BiOBr heterojunction composite photocatalysts. Observation by scanning/transmission electron microscopy confirms the good decoration of CTO nanoparticles (15-50 nm) on the surface of BiOBr microplates (diameter 0.7-2.2 μm, thickness 70-110 nm). Simulated sunlight was used as the light source, and rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution was used as the model pollutant to assess the photodegradation activity of the samples. It is demonstrated that the CTO@BiOBr composites with an appropriate CTO content exhibit much enhanced photodegradation performances. In particular, the 10%CTO@BiOBr composite with a CTO mass fraction of 10%, which photocatalyzes 99.9% degradation of RhB at 30 min of photocatalysis, has a photocatalytic activity which is about 1.8 and 23.6 times larger than that of bare BiOBr microplates and CTO nanoparticles, respectively. This can be explained as the result of the Z-scheme electron transfer and efficient separation of photoexcited electron/hole pairs, as evidenced by photoluminescence, photocurrent response, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigations.