Synergistic Photocatalytic Remediation Using Fe 2 O 3 /BiVO 4 Nanocomposites: A Sustainable Solution

This study explores the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic efficiency of Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ nanocomposites for sustainable environmental remediation. Fe₂O₃ and BiVO₄, both semiconductor materials, exhibit complementary properties, making them promising candidates for synergistic photocatalysis. The nanocomposites were synthesized by varying the Fe ratio using a hydrothermal method followed by calcination. Several techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) analysis, were employed for characterization. XRD confirmed the rhombohedral structure of Fe₂O₃ and the monoclinic structure of BiVO₄. SEM and TEM images revealed uniform particle dispersion, with ~ 500 nm BiVO₄ particles surrounded by ~ 50 nm Fe₂O₃ aggregates. BET analysis showed that the surface area increased with Fe content. UV-DRS demonstrated visible light absorption with bandgap energies from 2.27 to 2.47 eV, suitable for photocatalytic applications. PL analysis indicated efficient charge separation due to reduced photoluminescence. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) revealed that the 2Fe/8Bi nanocomposite achieved the highest degradation efficiency (98.74%) with a rate constant of 0.0270 min⁻¹, outperforming individual Fe₂O₃ and BiVO₄. These results demonstrate the potential of Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ nanocomposites as sustainable photocatalysts for environmental remediation, with promising prospects for addressing environmental challenges.