Pb-free Cs3Bi2I9 perovskite as a visible-light-active photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation

Abstract

In our work, we employed Cs3Bi2I9 as a visible-light-active photocatalyst, synthesized with a low-temperature solvothermal method. The morphological and structural properties of the as-prepared perovskite were investigated, and the results were compared to previous studies to confirm its nature and the quality of the synthesis procedure. Transient absorption spectroscopy was applied in order to investigate the generation and lifetime of photogenerated charge carriers, revealing their formation after visible light excitation. The potential photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared metal halide perovskite was applied for the removal of Rhodamine B in aqueous solution, demonstrating an excellent activity of 93% after 180 min under visible-light irradiation. The current research aims to provide insights into the design of a new visible-light-active photocatalyst, Cs3Bi2I9, selected for its high application value in the field of advanced materials for light harvesting. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.