Development of Hybrid BiOCl_xBr_1-x-Embedded Alumina Films and Their Application as Highly Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Reactors

A highly stable 75 wt % BiOCl_xBr_1-x-loaded alumina composite film has been developed for the fabrication of glass-based photoreactors. A very simple approach has been adopted that does not involve the use of a special instrument and can be applied to all types of substrates irrespective to their size and shape. The structure and morphology of the films were well characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, N₂-sorption, IR, Raman, and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. BiOCl_xBr_1-x microspheres (1-3 μm) with closely packed thin nanoplates (width ≈10 nm) were integrated within alumina to develop a hybrid film. The photocatalytic capacity of the films was evaluated for the decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) and naphthalene under visible-light irradiation. The composite films showed a remarkable photocatalytic activity and stability and have been reused for several cycles without any deterioration of their original activity.