Search

The sillenite compound Bi12SiO20 was synthesized via Pechini sol–gel method. Composition, crystallinity, microscopic appearance, and optical properties of samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic property of pure Bi12SiO20 was also investigated by detecting the degradation rate of rhodamine B (RhB). The experimental conditions related to the preparation of pure phase bismuth silicate, such as the content of citric acid, calcination temperature schedule, and the molar ratio of Bi/Si were investigated. And when n(citric acid) = 13 mmol, n(Bi/Si) = 10, and heat preservation at 630 °C for 5 h, pure bismuth silicate powder can be successfully synthesized. And the degradation of RhB by Bi12SiO20 under visible light for 150 min can reach to 80%, which indicated that pure Bi12SiO20 is an excellent photocatalyst under the visible light. In addition, the capture experiments demonstrate that (Vo+) dominates in photocatalytic degradation. Highlights: Pure Bi12SiO20 photocatalyst can be successfully synthesized by Pechini method. Bi12SiO20 has a typical sillenite structure with the band gap of 2.4 eV. Bi12SiO20 shows a better visible-light photocatalytic performance than P25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]