Solar-driven mesoporous BiOI nanostructures for environmental remediation and adaptive sensing: a sustainable approach to wastewater management

Abstract The development of advanced materials capable of harnessing renewable energy for environmental remediation is critical for a sustainable future. This study reports the synthesis of high-performance mesoporous bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) nanostructures via a facile, energy-efficient room-temperature chemical precipitation route. Structural characterization reveals BiOI nanocrystals with a preferential (102) orientation and an average crystallite size of ~ 11 nm, providing a high surface area optimized for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Utilizing direct sunlight as the primary energy source, the synthesized BiOI demonstrates exceptional photocatalytic efficiency, achieving ~ 79% degradation of Sulforhodamine B (SRB)—a recalcitrant aminoxanthene organic pollutant—within only 5 min. Furthermore, we introduce the Sensing Capability Index (SCI), a novel quantitative metric that evaluates the material’s responsiveness to temporal spectral changes during the reaction. SCI analysis proves that BiOI functions as an “intelligent” photo catalyst, where sensing strength evolves dynamically as the pollutant structure is dismantled. By integrating rapid solar-driven degradation with real-time adaptive sensing, these BiOI nanostructures offer a resource-efficient, multifunctional solution for next-generation water treatment technologies, bridging the gap between renewable energy utilization and autonomous environmental monitoring.