Lantern-like bismuth oxyiodide embedded typha-based carbon: Via in situ self-template and ion exchange-recrystallization for high-performance photocatalysis

Efficient photocatalysts induced by visible light (e.g. BiOI) have attracted wide attention for energy storage and environmental pollutant rehabilitation. In this work, N-doped bamboo tube-like carbon (NTC) was derived directly from the carbonization of bio-waste (withered typha grass) under an ammonia atmosphere. During fabrication, the BiOI/NTC material was used as a self-sacrificing template and I^- ions were gradually replaced by OH^- ions from NH₃·H₂O solution. Then Bi₇O₉I₃/NTC was formed with micro-/nanohierarchical structures, which could exactly be explained by the in situ ion exchange-recrystallization mechanism. Thereinto, the well-defined hierarchical lantern-like Bi₇O₉I₃ composed of interconnecting ultrathin nanosheets firmly embedded the "bamboo tubes" of NTC, which endow sufficient interface and high specific surface area (40 m² g^-1). The multiple synergistic effects of the lantern-like structure with ultrathin nanosheets, low iodine content and well-contacted interface endow the synthesized Bi₇O₉I₃/NTC with outstanding visible-light catalytic activity. The results show that the obtained Bi₇O₉I₃/NTC degraded 93.5% of methyl orange and 97.6% of rhodamine B within 2 hours, showing superior performance as compared to the pure BiOI. Therefore, our work demonstrates a controllable approach that can provide guidelines for designing optimized bismuth oxyiodide-based photocatalyst materials and has the potential for application in environmental remediation.