Enhanced photocatalytic activity at multidimensional interface of 1D-Bi2S3@2D-GO/3D-BiOI ternary nanocomposites for tetracycline degradation under visible-light

Abstract

Structural dimensionality and surface morphology are key properties that greatly affect the functionalities of materials. Herein, we report a synthesis of dimensionally coupled ternary nanocomposites from three-dimensional (3D) bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI), two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO), and one-dimensional (1D) bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanomaterials for tetracycline degradation under visible-light irradiation. The 2%-Bi2S3@1%-GO/BiOI ternary nanocomposites show higher degradation efficiency than neat 3D-BiOI. The coupling of neat 1D-Bi2S3 with the 1%-GO/BiOI binary nanocomposite does not increase the specific surface area of the resulting 2%-Bi2S3@1%-GO/3D-BiOI ternary nanocomposite, but enhances notably its charge carrier separation and migration, according to the analysis of the higher photocurrent, smaller arc radius of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and lower photoluminescence intensity. The observed results suggest that the combination of dimensionally coupled composites provides a synergistic effect through an efficient charge transfer process. This work offers new insights into the design and construction of dimensionally coupled ternary nanocomposites for environmental remediation applications.