Assessment of photocatalytic activity of novel PrBiFeO3 perovskite composites in visible-light photocatalytic decomposition reaction

In this study, the visible-light photocatalytic reaction properties of perovskite catalysts was investigated with excellent visible-light sensitivity. Titanate-based and ferrite-based perovskites were introduced as light-responsive catalysts. A novel ferrite-based perovskite composite, PrBiFeO₃, was synthesized, which demonstrated significantly enhanced light absorption under both visible light and UV illumination. The composite was prepared according to a combined sol-gel and solvothermal method. The newly synthesized PrBiFeO₃ exhibited excellent absorption capabilities for both UV and visible light, with a band gap energy of about 2.0 eV. These perovskites showed photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methylene blue and formaldehyde under visible light LED lamp illumination. Notably, the ferrite-based perovskites, including PrFeO₃, displayed better photocatalytic activity under visible light compared to the titanate-based perovskites. The novel PrBiFeO₃ composite also produced hydrogen and oxygen through water splitting under artificial sunlight and liquid plasma discharging. The amount of hydrogen produced by photocatalytic water splitting in PrBiFeO₃ under liquid plasma irradiation was approximately 50 times higher than that produced under artificial sunlight irradiation.