PCBM nanoparticles as visible-light-driven photocatalysts for photocatalytic decomposition of organic dyes

[6,6]-Phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl esters (PCBM) have emerged in recent years as important building blocks for photovoltaic devices. However, the potential of PCBM itself as a photocatalyst has not been reviewed. Here, we demonstrate PCBM nanoparticles (NPs) fabricated by the reprecipitation method as suitable photocatalysts for an effective visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation for organic dyes. An enhanced catalytic performance of PCBM can be achieved by a simple annealing process. The present PCBM NPs outperform the state-of-the-art P25 TiO₂ and therefore highlights its potential as promising small molecule organic semiconductor photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity and good long-term stability.