Abstract
Advanced photocatalysts that can utilize solar energy for water purification applications are always needed. The present article reports a facile fabrication of tungsten oxide (WO3)/bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) immobilized on polyaniline (PAn) (BiOCl/WO3@PAn) heterojunction nanocomposite photocatalyst. The designed nanocatalyst was tested for 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) decontamination from the aquatic system. Synthesized WO3, BiOCl, and BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposites were distinguished via UV-DSR, photoluminescence, SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS analysis. The combination of PAn with WO3 and BiOCl showed a synergistic impact on the photocatalytic efficiency of the BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite. The synthesized BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite showed higher visible light absorption behavior and bandgap energy reduction than the WO3 and BiOCl. The obtained data shows that 2-CP photocatalysis by the BiOCl/WO3@PAn is controlled by degradation time, pH, and pollutant amount in the solution. The highest photocatalytic degradation of 2-CP (99.7%) was recorded at pH 5 and 25 mg/L concentration within 240 min. The photocatalysis mechanism and active radical scavenging study discovered that O-center dot(2)- and (OH)-O-center dot, were responsible for the 2-CP mineralization onto the BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite. The BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite showed enhanced decontamination properties over pristine catalysts. The reusability of the synthesized BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite was evaluated. It found that the photocatalyst could be recycled for up to four cycles for 2-CP degradation without significantly losing the photocatalytic properties. The fabricated BiOCl/WO3@PAn nanocomposite catalyst presented exceptional catalytic and recycling properties, indicating an effective method for scavenging hazardous organic contaminants under solar irradiation and green technology for wastewater purification.