Microwave-assisted synthesis of Fe/Ni co-doped BiOBr: enhanced photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation

Bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr) doped with varying concentrations of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) was synthesized using microwave radiation at a power of 300 W for 10 min. The effect of Fe–Ni co-doping on the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation was investigated. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV‒visible spectrophotometry, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were introduced for the analysis of the phase, structure, morphology, surface composition elemental states, and optical properties of the synthesized materials. Photocatalytic activity tests revealed that BiOBr doped with 0.50% Fe and Ni exhibited superior performance and the highest photocatalytic activity, accompanied by excellent stability. The observed improvement in photocatalytic activity was attributed to the presence of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) as the primary active species, as identified through analysis. These findings champion the potential of Fe–Ni co-doped BiOBr as an efficient photocatalyst for environmental remediation.