Facile Synthesis of BiOCl Incorporated Polymer Membrane for Effective Photocatalytic Dye Degradation

In this study, a novel and efficient bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) incorporated cellulose acetate/chitosan (CA/CS) hybrid structure was fabricated using a simple and affordable hydrothermal synthesis method. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and UV-DRS have been employed to investigate the phase, structural, morphological, and optical properties of CA/CS/BiOCl nanocomposite membrane. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanocomposite membrane was investigated through the degradation of Methylene blue (MB) and Crystal Violet (CV) under UV light irradiation. The outcomes have demonstrated that after being exposed to UV light, the CA/CS/BiOCl has the potential to be a highly effective photocatalyst for degrading both organic pollutants such as MB and CV. Most importantly, after 60 min of UV light irradiation, both dyes (MB, CV) were removed with percentages of 79.9 and 85%, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of both organic dyes (MB, CV) followed first-order kinetics, with average rate constants of 0.0258 and 0.0232 min⁻¹, respectively. The major reactive species involved in pollutant degradation are electrons and holes. Even after three cycles of usage, the synthesized BiOCl retains its photocatalytic efficacy. This investigation fits into the scope of the exploration and development of affordable green-oriented nanomaterials for advanced (waste) water treatments. Based on the results of experiments, a putative photocatalytic mechanism was hypothesized. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)