Preparation, characterization, and mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic performance in Bi_1-xSm_xFeO₃ nanoparticles

Via a simple sol-gel approach, the high photocatalytic efficiency of Bi_1-xSm_xFeO₃ nanoparticles were realized when x was 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20. Microstructural characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, demonstrated a transformation from the rhombohedral structure of BiFeO₃ to the orthorhombic structure of Bi_0.80Sm_0.20FeO₃. Moreover, the experimental findings discovered that the photocatalytic efficiency of Bi_0.80Sm_0.20FeO₃ was the highest, reaching 98.5% within 2 h based on visible light degradation. The underlying mechanisms, involved to phase transition, size effect, band energy and Fenton reaction, were discussed. The research presented in the paper is crucial in offering a fundamental strategy for utilizing BiFeO₃ to address the issue of water pollutants.