Nanostructure and photocatalytic behavior of glass-ceramics in Bi₂O₃–Nb₂O₅–Li₂O–B₂O₃–SiO₂ system

Abstract

We have prepared a multicomponent glass, in which photocatalytic Bi₂O₃–Nb₂O₅ and Bi₂O₃–SiO₂ phases are crystallizable, and have examined the nanometric structure and photocatalytic activity in the resulting glass-ceramics (GCs). The GCs crystallized the Bi₃NbO₇ nanophase followed by the Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ nanophase as increasing the heat-treatment temperature, and eventually, the nano-sized Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅–Bi₄Si₃O₁₂ co-crystallized GC sample was obtained. Although photocatalytic activity was confirmed in the singly Bi₃NbO₇-/Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅-crystallized samples by means of the degradation test of rhodamine B dye, a higher activity was found in the co-crystallized sample. The high photocatalytic activity was considered in accordance with a nanometric structural observation.