Investigation of the structural properties of BiCuTaVOx compounds with improved oxygen ion conductivity and photocatalytic degradation of SMX
Résumé
This study aimed to enhance the performance of Bi4V2O11 by synthesizing compounds with double substitution using (Cu2+) and (Ta5+) ions and investigating their photocatalytic activity. Bi4V2-xCux/2Tax/2O11-3x/4 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) samples were prepared using a solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed stabilization of the tetragonal γ-Bi4V2O11 phase for x = 0.2–0.4. These findings were corroborated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to investigate microstructure and grain size. Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy revealed structural changes in α-BiCuTaVOx (x = 0.1) due to thermal effects. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to evaluate electrical conductivity. Bandgap energies were measured using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was studied by comparing simple and double substitutions of Cu2+ and Ta5+. A synergistic effect was observed in the photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The sample with x = 0.3 showed the best photocatalytic activity and conductivity (σ600 °C = 4 × 10−3 S cm−1).