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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/NMsB/25
Development of Bi2O3-ZnO heterostructure for enhanced photodegradation of
rhodamine B and reactive yellow dyes

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Muhammad Saeed , Misbah Yasin , Majid Muneer , Muhammad Usman , Atta ul Haq ,
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Mariam Sadia , Muhammad Altaf
1 Department of Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
Correspondence: msaeed@gcuf.edu.pk
Abstract
Semiconductor based photocatalysis is one of the effective techniques of AOPs for
environmental remediation. In present work, the development of an efficient photocatalyst
formed by coupling of p-type Bi2O3 and n-type ZnO is reported. The Bi2O3-ZnO
heterostructures with 5, 10 and 15% Bi2O3 were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The
prepared heterostructures were characterized by various advanced techniques including XRD,
XPS, UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM and surface area measurement. The prepared ZnO
and Bi2O3-ZnO heterostructures were tested as photocatalysts for photodegradation of dyes
using mixed solution of rhodamine B and reactive yellow dyes. The 5% Bi2O3-ZnO
heterostructure was found as most efficient photocatalyst with 93 and 91% photodegradation
of rhodamine B and reactive yellow dyes, respectively. It was found that incorporation of 5%
Bi2O3 with ZnO enhanced the photocatalytic activity about 15 times towards photodegradation
of dyes.

Keywords: Rhodamine B, Reactive yellow, Heterostructure, Bi2O3-ZnO, Langmuir-
Hinshelwood

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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