Synthesis, characterization, optoelectronic and photocatalytic properties of SrBiO/SrCO and SrBiO/SrCO heterostructures with varying SrCO content.

We report on the structure and properties of novel SrBiO/SrCO and SrBiO/SrCO heterostructures with SrCO content varying from 10 wt% to 90 wt%. Formation of the heterostructures is succeeded via sintering technique and according to XRD, SEM, and EDX studies has resulted in highly crystalline materials with well-defined carbonate-bismuthate interfaces. In the reaction of photodegradation of phenol in aqueous solution the heterostructures demonstrated photocatalytic activity exceeding that of TiO. It is demonstrated that their photocatalytic action is due to the presence of type II semiconductor heterojunctions. The content of SrCO ensuring utmost photocatalytic activity is explained based on numerical modeling of the heterostructures' formation using 'Unity' development platform. In addition, the heterostructures show photoluminescence. Its mechanism proposed here implies permeability of the materials' heterojunctions to electrons. This work describes new materials that can be used for photodegradation of organic pollutants. Besides, it extends available principles of design of photocatalytically active heterostructures.