Epitaxial Growth Bismuthene Engineered Bi4ti3o12 for Enhancing Photocatalytic Performance

Abstract

The epitaxial growth method for constructing lattice-matched heterojunctions represented an ideal strategy for enhancing carrier migration. In the context of Bi4Ti3O12 (BIT), its photocatalytic performance has been limited by inadequate light absorption and rapid carrier recombination. To address these challenges, this study employed epitaxial growth to load bismuthene, known for its excellent conductivity and lattice matching, onto the surface of BIT. Bismuthene serves as electron trapping sites, facilitating electron transfer and effectively promoting carrier separation. This design significantly improved photocatalytic degradation performance, with the optimal bismuthene/BIT composite exhibiting a performance 1.6 times higher than that of pure BIT. Furthermore, the photocatalytic mechanism was elucidated through analyses of the band gap, trapping experiments, and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies. This work demonstrates the potential of the epitaxial growth method for constructing lattice-matched heterojunctions, thereby advancing the field of photocatalysis.

Keywords: Bi4Ti3O12, Bismuthene, Photodegradation, 2, 4-Dichlorophenol, Epitaxial growth