Ti(Ⅳ)掺杂Bi_2O_3电子结构和可见光催化活性的原理

密度泛函理论(DFT)计算对掺杂体系新型环境光催化剂设计开发具有指导意义.基于DFT框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法(USPP),对α、β、γ、δ-Bi2O3晶体几何结构分别进行了优化计算,从理论上得到了Bi2O3的总体态密度(TDOS)和Bi、O原子的分波态密度(PDOS).在此基础上对Bi2O3超晶胞进行Ti(IV)的掺杂计算,讨论了Ti(IV)掺杂对各种Bi2O3的电子结构和光吸收特性的影响.结果表明Ti(IV)掺杂Bi2O3晶体后,Ti(IV)的3d轨道进入禁带并与O2p、Bi6p轨道作用,使禁带宽度(Eg)变小,Bi2O3的吸收边红移,从而有助于Bi2O3光催化活性的改善.通过水热合成法制备的Ti(IV)掺杂Bi2O3样品的紫外-可见光漫反射光谱验证了计算的结果.在光催化降解有机染料结晶紫的实验中,光催化剂活性的改善进一步得到证实.     

Crystalline metallic Au nanoparticle-loaded α-Bi(2)O(3) microrods for improved photocatalysis

Crystalline metallic Au nanoparticles were loaded on α-Bi(2)O(3) microrods (Au/α-Bi(2)O(3)) using an Au deposition-precipitation method. The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Upon visible light irradiation, the Au/α-Bi(2)O(3) exhibits much higher photocatalytic activities than the pure α-Bi(2)O(3) for the degradation of Rhodamine B and 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution. The role of the Au and the paths of electron transport in the photocatalysis of the Au/α-Bi(2)O(3) were investigated and discussed in detail based on the analysis of the photo-generated hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in the visible light irradiated suspension of pure α-Bi(2)O(3) and Au/α-Bi(2)O(3). The result reveals that the Au loaded on α-Bi(2)O(3) plays a critical role in the separation of the electron and hole pairs by accumulating the electrons from the excited α-Bi(2)O(3), which is responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic activity.     

Cu2+掺杂的Bi2O3的制备及光催化性能的研究

本文采用并流沉淀法制备了Cu2+掺杂的纳米Bi2O3光催化剂(Cu/Bi原子比分别为1%,2%,3%和4%)。以甲基橙模拟有机污染物对催化剂的光催化性能进行了考察。用比表面(BET)、X-射线粉末衍射(XRD)、X-射线光电子能谱(XPS),紫外-可见漫反射光谱(DRS)和表面光电压谱(SPS)对所制备的催化剂进行了表征。结果表明,Cu2+掺杂量为3%时制备的Bi2O3具有最高的比表面积、孔容、最小孔径和晶粒尺寸。对甲基橙的光催化脱色结果显示掺杂量为3%时Cu2+-Bi2O3表现出最佳的光催化活性。     

光生电荷梯度连续传递链的构筑及对光催化性能的增强作用

选取能带位置匹配的γ-Bi₂O₃,α-Bi₂O₃和Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂,采用等体积浸渍法原位构筑了具有梯度能级的Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂@α/γ-Bi₂O₃三元同素结光催化剂.光催化降解高浓度罗丹明B(Rh B)和四氯苯酚(4-CP)的实验结果表明,相比于γ-Bi₂O₃和α/γ-Bi₂O₃,Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂@α/γ-Bi₂O₃显示出优异的光催化活性,其中0. 5%Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂@α/γ-Bi₂O₃显示了最佳的光催化性能,光降解...     

Polymorph-tuned synthesis of α- and β-Bi2O3 nanowires and determination of their growth direction from polarized Raman single nanowire microscopy

We report polymorph-tuned synthesis of α- and β-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires and their single nanowire micro-Raman study. The single crystalline Bi(2)O(3) nanowires in different phases (α and β) were selectively synthesized by adjusting the heating temperature of Bi precursor in a vapor transport process. No catalyst was employed. Furthermore, at an identical precursor evaporation temperature, α- and β- phase Bi(2)O(3) nanowires were simultaneously synthesized along the temperature gradient at a substrate. The growth direction of α-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires was revealed by polarized Raman single nanowire spectra. For thin β-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires with a very small diameter, the polarized Raman single nanowire spectrum was strongly influenced by the shape effect.     

不同晶型Bi2O3可见光光催化降解罗丹明B的研究

采用化学沉淀法制备了α、β、γ 3种晶体结构的Bi₂O₃光催化剂。利用XRD、TEM、氮气吸附、TG-DSC、紫外-可见漫反射光谱对样品的晶体结构、微观形貌、光学吸收特性进行了表征,并以罗丹明B(RhB)作为模型污染物,研究了不同的粉体光催化剂在可见光(λ>420 nm)照射下的光催化能力。结果表明：制备的α-Bi₂O₃为长3 μm、宽1 μm的板条状颗粒,带隙为2.84 eV;β-Bi₂O₃为粒径约150 nm的不规则颗粒,带隙为2.75 eV;γ-Bi₂O₃为直径6 nm、长度150~200 nm的纳米管,带隙为2.68 eV。在可见光照射下Bi₂O₃光催化降解RhB的活性如下：γ-Bi₂O₃>β-Bi₂O₃>α-Bi₂O₃,其中γ-Bi₂O₃在辐照60 min后对罗丹明B的脱色率可达97%以上。     

La掺杂Bi2O3的制备、表征与可见光催化活性

采用浸渍法制备了La掺杂Bi2O3(La-Bi2O3)光催化剂,利用X射线荧光光谱(XRF)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)和光致发光谱(PL)等分析测试手段对样品的La掺杂量、晶体结构和光谱特征等进行了表征,并以2,4-二氯苯酚(2,4-DCP)水溶液的降解作为探针反应,考察了样品的可见光催化性能.结果表明,适量的La掺杂能有效抑制Bi2O3由四方相向单斜相转变,并将光吸收范围拓展到550 nm以上.掺杂的La可取代Bi2O3晶格中部分Bi,形成Bi—O—La键,并生成了少量镧铋复合氧化物(La0.176Bi0.824O1.5),它们的存在能有效抑制光生电子-空穴对的复合,从而提高光催化量子产率.可见光照射下2,4-DCP的光催化降解实验表明,La-Bi2O3具有良好的可见光催化性能,并且当La的掺杂量为3%(摩尔分数)时,催化剂的可见光催化效率最高.     

Composition dependence of the photocatalytic activities of BiOCl(1-x)Br(x) solid solutions under visible light

We prepared BiOCl(1-x)Br(x) (x=0-1) solid solutions and characterized their structures, morphologies, and photocatalytic properties by X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photocurrent and photocatalytic activity measurements and also by density functional theory calculations for BiOCl, BiOBr, BiOCl(0.5)Br(0.5). Under visible-light irradiation BiOCl(1-x)Br(x) exhibits a stronger photocatalytic activity than do BiOCl and BiOBr, with the activity reaching the maximum at x=0.5 and decreasing gradually as x is increased toward 1 or decreased toward 0. This trend is closely mimicked by the photogenerated current of BiOCl(1-x)Br(x) , indicating that the enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiOCl(1-x)Br(x) with respect to those of BiOCl and BiOBr originates from the trapping of photogenerated carriers. Our electronic structure calculations for BiOCl(0.5)Br(0.5) with the anion (O(2-), Cl(-), Br(-)) and cation (Bi(3+)) vacancies suggest that the trapping of photogenerated carriers is caused most likely by Bi(3+) cation vacancies, which generate hole states above the conduction band maximum.     

光催化剂Bi1-xGdxVO4的制备和表征及其光催化分解水

通过高温固相法合成了不同组分的光催化剂Bi1-xGdxVO4(x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1.0), 并用X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(DRS)、比表面积分析(BET)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对催化剂Bi1-xGdxVO4进行了表征和分析. XRD结果表明, 在Bi1-xGdxVO4中存在两种结构, 当0.3≤x≤1.0时, Bi1-xGdxVO4为四方晶系硅酸锆型结构; 当x=0时, 为单斜晶系白钨矿结构BiVO4; 当0相似文献   

Dual function of rare earth doped nano Bi(2)O(3): white light emission and photocatalytic properties

Undoped Bi(2)O(3) and single and double doped Bi(2)O(3)?:?M (where M = Tb(3+) and Eu(3+)) nanophosphors were synthesized through a simple sonochemical process and characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), EDS, diffuse reflectance (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectrophotometry. The TEM micrographs show that resultant nanoparticles have a rod-like shape. Energy transfer was observed from host to the dopant ions. Characteristic green emissions from Tb(3+) ions and red emissions from Eu(3+) ions were observed. Interestingly, the Commission International de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the double doped Bi(2)O(3)?:?Eu(3+)(0.8%)?:?Tb(3+)(1.2%) nanorods lie in the white light region of the chromaticity diagram and it has a quantum efficiency of 51%. The undoped Bi(2)O(3) showed a band gap of 3.98 eV which is red shifted to 3.81eV in the case of double doped Bi(2)O(3)?:?Eu(3+)(0.8%)?:?Tb(3+)(1.2%) nanorods. The photocatalytic activities of undoped nano Bi(2)O(3) and double doped nano Bi(2)O(3)?:?Eu(3+)(0.8%)?:?Tb(3+)(1.2%) were evaluated for the degradation of Rhodamine B under UV irradiation of 310 nm. The results showed that Bi(2)O(3)?:?Eu(3+)(0.8%)?:?Tb(3+)(1.2%) had better photocatalytic activity compared to undoped nano Bi(2)O(3). The evolution of CO(2) was realized and these results indicated the continuous mineralization of rhodamine B during the photocatalytic process. Thus double doped Bi(2)O(3)?:?Eu(3+)(0.8%)?:?Tb(3+)(1.2%) nanorods can be termed as a bifunctional material exhibiting both photocatalytic properties and white light emission.     

?-Bi2O3/BiOI异质结的制备及其有效去除有机染料的光催化作用

窄带半导体氧化铋(Bi2O3,带宽介于2.1-2.8 eV)因其强的可见光吸收和无毒性等特性而一直被认为是潜在的可见光催化材料.通常, Bi2O3具有a,b,g,d,e和w等六种晶型,其中,a,b和d-Bi2O3具有催化可见光降解有机物的活性.可是,由于其光生电子-空穴复合较快, Bi2O3的光催化活性还很低,远不够实际应用.将半导体与另一种物质如贵金属或其他半导体复合形成异质结是一种有效控制光生电子-空穴复合,提高光催化活性的方法.目前已成功开发了许多Bi2O3基的异质结光催化材料.尤其是通过用卤化氢酸与a-Bi2O3直接作用原位形成的a-Bi2O3与铋的卤氧化合物BiOX (X = Cl, Br或I)的异质结在提高光催化活性和制备方面显示了优越性.然而,具有更强可见光吸收的b-Bi2O3(带宽约2.3 eV)与卤氧化合物的异质结光催化性能却鲜有报道.本文通过用HI原位处理b-Bi2O3形成b-Bi2O3/BiOI异质结.该异质结表现较纯b-Bi2O3和BiOI更高的降解甲基橙(MO)可见光催化活性.通过多晶X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外漫散射(UV-DRS)、扫描电镜、透射电镜(TEM)、X光电子能谱(XPS)和荧光(PL)等手段研究了b-Bi2O3/BiOI异质结,并提出其高催化活性的机理. XRD结果显示,用HI原位处理b-Bi2O3可形成BiOI相,并且随着HI使用量增加,混合物中的BiOI相逐渐增多. HRTEM结果进一步表明,在混合物中的b-Bi2O3和BiOI都是高度结晶态,且两相之间有很好的接触,从而有利于两相之间的电荷移动.根据UV-DRS和ahv =A(hv –Eg)n/2等公式,计算出了b-Bi2O3和BiOI带隙分别为2.28和1.77 eV,以及两种半导体的导带和价带位置. b-Bi2O3的导带和价带位置分别为0.31和2.59 eV,而BiOI的导带和价带位置分别为0.56和2.33 eV.这样两种半导体能带结构呈蜂窝状,显然不适合光生电子-空穴的分离.然而, XPS测定结果显示,b-Bi2O3和BiOI相互接触形成异质结后,b-Bi2O3相的电子向BiOI相发生了明显的移动.根据文献报道,当两种费米能级不同的半导体接触时,电子会从费米能级高的半导体移向费米能级低的半导体,直至建立新的费米能级.b-Bi2O3被报道是典型的n型半导体,其费米能级在上靠近其导带位置;而BiOI是典型的p型半导体,其费米能级在下靠近其价带位置.基于此,我们提出了b-Bi2O3/BiOI异质结高催化活性的机理.当b-Bi2O3与BiOI形成异质结时,由于b-Bi2O3的费米能级较BiOI的高,因而电子从b-Bi2O3转向BiOI,直至新的费米能级形成.因此电子在两相之间移动导致了b-Bi2O3能带结构整体下移,以及BiOI能带结构整体上移,使得新形成的BiOI导带和价带位置高于b-Bi2O3的.当该异质结在可见光的照射下,光生电子将移至b-Bi2O3的导带,而空穴会移至BiOI的价带,最终达到了光生电子-空穴分离的效果,产生高的光催化活性. PL测试也证实了b-Bi2O3/BiOI异质结具有更长的光生电子-空穴寿命.     

Bi2MoO6纳米薄膜的制备及其光电性能

采用非晶态配合物法在ITO导电玻璃上制备了Bi2MoO6薄膜. 采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、激光拉曼光谱(LRS)、紫外-可见漫反射谱(DRS)、光电流响应谱、光电转换量子效率(IPCE)等技术研究了Bi2MoO6薄膜的制备工艺、形貌、结构与薄膜光电性能的关系. 结果表明, 500 ℃、1 h焙烧后的Bi2MoO6薄膜为γ-Bi2MoO6晶相, 沿(131)晶面方向生长, 薄膜厚度约为69 nm. 随着焙烧温度的升高和焙烧时间的延长, Bi2MoO6薄膜的平均颗粒度增大, 并且在525 ℃焙烧出现β-Bi2MoO6和γ’-Bi2MoO6晶相. Bi2MoO6薄膜具有可见光响应活性, 在可见光照射下可以产生光电流, 优化条件下的Bi2MoO6薄膜在400 nm的光电转换量子效率可以达到2.14%. 薄膜的光电响应和光电转换量子效率受薄膜形貌及结晶状态影响, 可以通过控制薄膜的制备条件来提高薄膜的光电转换量子效率.     

Z-机制磷酸银/钨酸铋复合物的构建及其可见光催化降解有机污染物(英文)

环境危害不仅对人类健康构成巨大威胁,而且也阻碍了经济社会的快速发展.光催化剂通过利用太阳能来降解污染物为环境问题提供一条理想的途径.光催化剂的制备应该考虑以下几点:(1)对可见光响应;(2)高量子效率和稳定性;(3)安全、廉价、无毒的原材料.早期的一些催化剂如二氧化钛、氧化锌、硫化锌、锗酸锌和磷酸铋等在紫外线照射下表现出优秀的光催化活性.但是紫外光是稀有的,而且对人体健康有害.近年来,对宽带隙半导体的改性如掺杂、贵金属沉积、构建异质结或固溶体催化剂取得了有效进展.遗憾的是,受限于材料的固有属性,有限的改进仍然不能满足实际应用的需求.因此,探索高效稳定的可见光驱动的光催化剂依然是十分有意义的.磷酸银在可见光下表现出超强的光催化降解有机污染物和产氧的能力,但是磷酸银容易受到光腐蚀,光催化活性和稳定性很难维持.另外,磷酸银导带上的电子电势较正,这将导致其很难在光催化过程中被利用.而磷酸银导带上电子的积累会抑制其内部电子空穴对的分离,从而对磷酸银的光催化活性和稳定性造成不利影响.本文选择钨酸铋纳米片与磷酸银复合去抑制电子空穴对的复合和进一步提高磷酸银的活性和稳定性.样品的粉末X射线衍射、能谱和X光电子能谱的分析证实了磷酸银/钨酸铋复合物已经被成功合成.稳态荧光光谱证实了磷酸银/钨酸铋复合物的构建可以作为一种有效抑制电子和空穴对复合的手段.通过对样品进行光催化降解次甲基蓝的实验,我们发现磷酸银/钨酸铋复合材料展现出比磷酸银和钨酸铋更强的光催化活性.其中,磷酸银/钨酸铋光催化降解次甲基蓝的速率为0.61385 min~(-1),这是磷酸银(0.47179 min~(-1))和钨酸铋(0.10270 min~(-1))活性的1.3和6.0倍.同时,磷酸银/钨酸铋表现出耐久的稳定性,在连续五次光降解过程中几乎没有明显的活性损失.进一步通过对磷酸银/钨酸铋复合材料进行光催化活性成分的捕获实验,我们发现空穴、超氧负离子自由基和羟基自由基都发挥了一定的作用.最后,我们讨论了光催化机制,Z-机制光催化机制被认为是合理的.     

柠檬酸辅助水热法制备可见光高效去除甲基橙的Bi2WO6纳米片

以Bi(NO3)3·5H2O和Na2WO3 ·2H2O为原料,以柠檬酸为络合剂,采用辅助水热法制备了Bi2WO6纳米片,运用X射线衍射、扫描电镜、场发射高分辨透射电镜、拉曼光谱、红外光谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱等手段对样品进行了表征,并考察了该催化剂光催化去除甲基橙反应性能.结果表明,通过调节体系的pH值可制得结晶度良好...     

Photocatalytic activity of a Bi-based oxychloride Bi(3)O(4)Cl

A Bi-based oxychloride Bi(3)O(4)Cl with a layered structure as a novel efficient photocatalyst was studied in the present paper. The compound synthesized by a solid-state reaction method has a band gap of 2.79 eV. The material possesses a fair visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity. Generally, the photocatalytic efficiency of Bi(3)O(4)Cl for degrading methyl orange (MO) is higher than that of anatase TiO(2) under UV light illumination. The dispersion of Ag over Bi(3)O(4)Cl leads to an obvious increase in the photocatalytic performance. The MO decolorization over Bi(3)O(4)Cl is mainly initiated by a photocatalytic process. The photocatalytic activity is discussed in close connection with the crystal structure and the electronic structure in details.     

A new photocatalyst: Bi2TiO4F2 nanoflakes synthesized by a hydrothermal method

A pure phase of Bi(2)TiO(4)F(2) nanoflakes with layered Aurivillius structure are synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The as-prepared sample is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The OH radicals produced during the photocatalytic reaction is detected by a photoluminescence (PL) technique. The electronic structure is investigated by DFT calculations. The photocatalytic properties of Bi(2)TiO(4)F(2) are explored by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and phenol. The results show that Bi(2)TiO(4)F(2) exhibits much higher photocatalytic performances than Bi(4)Ti(3)O(12) due to the unique layered structure and the existence of F. F acts as an electron trapper, which enhances the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and lead to higher photocatalytic activity. Reaction with terephthalic acid demonstrates that OH radicals are formed as a result of UV irradiation of Bi(4)TiO(4)F(2) in solution, in agreement with the proposed mechanism. Thus, Bi(2)TiO(4)F(2) can be used as a new efficient photocatalyst.     

Preparation,characterization and photocatalytic properties of BiOBr/ZnO composites

BiOBr/ZnO composite photocatalysts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM), UV–Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy(DRS) and photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of methyl blue(MB) under the simulated sunlight irradiation. Among all the samples, the BiOBr/ZnO composite with a mole ratio of 3:1(Bi:Zn) exhibited the best photocatalytic activity. The improvement of photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the low recombination ratio of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. The possible photocatalytic mechanism was discussed on the basis of the band structures of BiOBr and ZnO.     

Hydrolysis of a basic bismuth nitrate--formation and stability of novel bismuth oxido clusters

The synthesis of the nanoscaled bismuth oxido clusters [Bi(38)O(45)(NO(3))(20)(DMSO)(28)](NO(3))(4)·4DMSO (1a) and [Bi(38)O(45)(OH)(2)(pTsO)(8)(NO(3))(12)(DMSO)(24)](NO(3))(2)·4DMSO·2H(2)O (2) starting from the basic bismuth nitrate [Bi(6)O(4)(OH)(4)](NO(3))(6)·H(2)O is reported herein. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, ESI mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation were used to study the formation, structure, and stability of these large metal oxido clusters. Compounds 1a and 2 are based on a [Bi(38)O(45)](24+) core, which is structurally related to δ-Bi(2)O(3). Examination of the fragmentation pathways of 1a and 2 by infrared multi-photon dissociation (IRMPD) tandem MS experiments allows the identification of novel bismuth oxido cluster species in the gas phase.     

Controlled synthesis of olive-shaped Bi2S3/BiVO4 microspheres through a limited chemical conversion route and enhanced visible-light-responding photocatalytic activity

Well-defined olive-shaped Bi(2)S(3)/BiVO(4) microspheres were synthesized through a limited chemical conversion route (LCCR), where olive-shaped BiVO(4) microspheres and thioacetamide (TAA) were used as precursors and sulfur source, respectively. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission microscope (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), UV-visible diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra in detail. Compared with pure BiVO(4) microspheres and Bi(2)S(3) nanorods, the Bi(2)S(3)/BiVO(4) products showed obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). In addition, the Bi(2)S(3)/BiVO(4) composite microspheres showed good visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of refractory oxytetracycline (OTC) as well. On the basis of UV-vis DRS, the calculated energy band positions, and PL spectra, the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity of Bi(2)S(3)/BiVO(4) was proposed. The present study provides a new strategy to design composite materials with enhanced photocatalytic performance.     

Mullite-derivative Bi2Mn(x)Al(7-x)O14 (x~1): structure determination by powder X-ray diffraction from a multi-phase sample

As a supplementary method to single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), nowadays crystal structure determination by powder XRD has become popular, especially for those areas with difficulties getting high quality single crystals. Here we observed an intermediate phase Bi(2)Mn(x)Al(7-x)O(14) (x~1) during the decomposition of mullite-Bi(2)Mn(x)Al(4-x)O(9+δ) (solid solution of Bi(2)Mn(4)O(10)-Bi(2)Al(4)O(9)). As a metastable phase, it started to decompose while forming, thus no single-phase sample can be obtained. We successfully determined its structure by powder XRD from a multi-phase sample. A modified Le Bail fitting using the atomic structure information of known impurities showed a more reliable intensity extraction from a multi-phase powder XRD than that without using atomic structures for the known impurities. The charge-flipping algorithm and Monte-Carlo based simulated annealing technique were then applied to obtain the full structural model. In principle, this strategy is applicable to more complex problems, and not limited to the oxide materials. Bi(2)Mn(x)Al(7-x)O(14) possesses a mullite-related structure. There are one tetrahedral and two octahedral sites for Mn and Al, where disordering with substantial site preferences is observed. Specifically, M1O(6) and M3O(6) octahedra share edges along the c-direction with the periodicity of 1 : 2. These octahedral chains are further connected into a 3D structure through M2O(4) dimmers and Bi.