Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Bi2O2CO3 Loaded Activated Carbon for Toluene Removal in Air

Activated carbon (AC) is one of the most used air purification materials with excellent adsorption capacity for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this work, Bi2O2CO3 (BOC) nanomaterials, as a photocatalysis component, are grown on the surface of the AC to construct BOC/AC composites. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2 adsorption/desorption measurements. The results demonstrate that flower-like BOC can be grown in situ on the surface of AC. The photocatalytic properties for the removal of gaseous toluene (50.0 ppm) in air over the BOC/AC composites were investigated under simulated sunlight illumination. The results show that the BOC/AC photocatalyst can effectively degrade toluene to CO2 and H2O, with more than 90% degradation in 3 h. The excellent photocatalytic performance of the BOC/AC composite catalyst can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of the adsorption ability of AC and photocatalytic activity of both BOC nanosheets and AC. This work may provide useful guidance for indoor air purification, particularly for harmful trace gases such as VOCs.