Mahboube Shirani

For the first time, novel worm-like Bi7(PO4)O9 photocatalysts have been fabricated via a versatile sonochemical route using new capping agent. The impacts of ultrasonic power, time of sonication, and capping agent on the morphology of Bi7(PO4)O9 products were also studied. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the Bi7(PO4)O9 nanostructures was studied by the degradation of ciprofloxacin as antibiotic contaminant under simulated solar light illumination. The results indicated that the hierarchical Bi7(PO4)O9 photocatalyst with energy gap of 2.92 eV has superior photodegradation efficiency about 91% after 2 h of simulated solar light irradiation, even after five recycles. Moreover, the effects of antibiotic concentration, photocatalyst dosage, and morphology of the products on the photocatalytic activity were investigated. The dependable photodegradation mechanism was expressed based on the active oxidative species trapping, which disclosed the photogenerated superoxide (•O2−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals were the chief species in the degradation of ciprofloxacin by Bi7(PO4)O9 nanostructures.