Constructing recyclable photocatalytic BiOBr/Ag nanowires/cotton fabric for efficient dye degradation under visible light

In this study, a highly-efficient photocatalytic and recyclable BiOBr/Ag nanowires (AgNW)/cotton fabric (CF) composite was fabricated by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) for rapid treatment of dye wastewater. The integration of AgNW and BiOBr aims to establish a channel for faster and easier charge transfer to enhance the photocatalytic performance. The chemical structure and morphology of BiOBr/AgNW/CF, as well as its photo-degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light radiation were explored. Results reveal that BiOBr/AgNW/CF exhibits remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity over BiOBr/CF, which degrades 97 % of RhB within 90 min. BiOBr/AgNW/CF still maintains 88 % of photocatalytic degradation capacity after five reusing cycles due to the effective encapsulation of BiOBr that protects AgNW from oxidation. Photoluminescence, electron spin resonance, and free radical trapping experiments confirm that the separation efficiency of photo-generated electron-hole pairs plays an important role in improving photocatalytic performance. In all, this work exhibits great potential in the development of textile-based photocatalytic materials that integrates two significant merits, the high degradation efficiency and easy recovery.