Title: Effect of Fluorination on Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B over In(OH)<sub><i>y</i></sub>S<sub><i>z</i></sub>: Promotion or Suppression?
Abstract: Fluorinated In(OH)ySz solid solutions were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) over the fluorinated In(OH)ySz solid solutions revealed that the process of the de-ethylation of RhB was enhanced, while in the meantime, the rate of the mineralization of RhB was suppressed when In(OH)ySz was fluorinated. To elucidate the opposite effects of fluorination on the two processes of photocatalytic degradation of RhB (de-ethylation and mineralization) over In(OH)ySz, the adsorption of RhB over In(OH)ySz with and without fluorination, the active species involved in the de-ethylation and the mineralization of RhB, were investigated, and the electronic structure of fluorinated In(OH)ySz was studied. The results indicated that the major active species involved in the de-ethylation and the mineralization of RhB are different, that is, the hole direct oxidation leads to the de-ethylation of RhB, while the major active species responsible for the mineralization of RhB is the O2−• radical. The fluorination on In(OH)ySz solid solutions on one hand can enhance the adsorption of RhB on the catalyst surface, leading to a higher rate in the de-ethylation of RhB. On the other hand, fluorination lowers the conduction band of In(OH)ySz, which leads to a lower capability of the photogenerated electrons in the reduction of O2 to give O2−• radicals. Our results clearly show that the fluorine modifications can have ambilateral effects on the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor photocatalysts depending on the specific photocatalytic reactions.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-12-09
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 40
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