Investigation of Photocatalytic Activities of Bi2S3 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Ethylene Glycol Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis Method in Dyestuff Removal from Wastewater

Abstract

– The high photocatalytic activity of semiconductor nanomaterials in the photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants in wastewater increases the interest in these materials day by day. One of the most widely used semiconductor photocatalysts as a photocatalyst is Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3). In this study, Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanomaterials, which is a widely used semiconductor type, were synthesized by ethylene glycol-assisted hydrothermal synthesis method. Then, the structural and morphological properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were defined by analysis techniques such as XRD, TEM, and BET. After confirming that the synthesized particles were Bi2S3, it was used it as a photocatalyst in the photocatalytic removal of Procion Yellow HE-3G, a diazo group textile dye, from synthetic wastewater. In these trials, trials were carried out with 4 different catalyst dosages, namely 0.010 g/L, 0.025 g/L, 0.050 g/L, and 0.10 g/L. The obtained results showed that the produced Bi2S3 nanoparticles were quite good photocatalysts. In the experiment with a catalyst concentration of 0.10 g/L, the dye in the solution was completely removed within 60 minutes. However, very close results were observed in photocatalysis experiments made with all catalyst dosages.