Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of New Photocatalyst ZnBiSbO4 under Visible Light Irradiation

In this paper, ZnBiSbO4 was synthesized by a solid-state reaction method for the first time. The structural and photocatalytic properties of ZnBiSbO4 had been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and UV-visible spectrometer. ZnBiSbO4 crystallized with a pyrochlore-type structure and a tetragonal crystal system. The band gap of ZnBiSbO4 was estimated to be 2.49 eV. The photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine was realized under visible light irradiation with ZnBiSbO4 as a catalyst compared with nitrogen-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) and CdBiYO4. The results showed that ZnBiSbO4 owned higher photocatalytic activity compared with N-TiO2 or CdBiYO4 for the photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine under visible light irradiation. The reduction of the total organic carbon, the formation of inorganic products, SO4(2-) and NO3(-), and the evolution of CO2 revealed the continuous mineralization of indigo carmine during the photocatalytic process. One possible photocatalytic degradation pathway of indigo carmine was obtained. The phytotoxicity of the photocatalytic-treated indigo carmine (IC) wastewater was detected by examining its effect on seed germination and growth.