Fabrication of Bi2WO6 quantum dots/ultrathin nanosheets 0D/2D homojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Abstract

A novel visible light-responsive homogeneous catalyst based on Bi 2 WO 6 quantum dots (QDs-BWO)/Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets (N-BWO) was successfully fabricated through a simple hydrothermal method. A variety of techniques were employed to investigate the morphology, structure, and electronic properties of the samples. The photocatalytic performance of the QDs/N-BWO materials was investigated by monitoring the degradation of 4-chlorophenol and rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The as-fabricated QDs/N-BWO materials showed higher photocatalytic activity than both QDs-BWO and N-BWO. The results reveal that the incorporation of the QDs improved the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the results of quenching experiments show that ·O 2 – species played a major role in the degradation process. This work provides an important reference for the fabrication of homogeneous catalysts with high performance in the degradation of different types of pollutants. Bi 2 WO 6 quantum dots and Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets form a unique zero-dimensional (0D)/two-dimensional (2D) homojunction. This structure promotes the transfer and separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which greatly enhances the photocatalytic activity.