Facile Fabrication of Bi2WO6/Ag2S Heterostructure with Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Performances.

Rongfeng Tang,Dezhi Sun,Xianxi Zhang,Suyuan Zeng,Bingquan Wang,Caihua Liu,Huaifen Su,Yuanwei Sun,Lei Li

doi:10.1186/s11671-016-1319-7

Rongfeng Tang, Dezhi Sun + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-016-1319-7

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Abstract

In this report, a novel photocatalyst based on Bi2WO6/Ag2S heterostructures was prepared by a 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-assisted route at room temperature. Compared to bare Bi2WO6 and Ag2S nanoparticles, the as-formed Bi2WO6/Ag2S heterostructures exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible-light irradiation. This kind of enhancement in the photocatalytic activity is considered to be the synergistic effects of both the effective electron-hole separation and expansion of the light-absorption range. The pH of the solution is of vital importance to the photocatalytic activity of the as-formed Bi2WO6/Ag2S heterostructures. Under low pH value, the photosensitization process is suppressed, while under higher pH value, the photosensitization process is favored. The mechanism of the photocatalytic process was proposed by the active-species-trapping experiments, indicating that the photogenerated holes (h+) play a crucial role in the degradation of Rh B under visible light. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of this heterostructure makes it a promising material for the treatment of dye-containing wastewater.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-016-1319-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

With the widespread application of visible-light-driven photocatalysts, Bi2WO6 has attracted more and more attention because of its unique crystal structure and physicochemical properties [1,2,3]
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-obtained Bi2WO6/Ag2S heterostructure is shown in Fig. 1
In this paper, a novel photocatalyst based on Bi2WO6/ Ag2S heterostructures was prepared by a facile surface functionalization method

Summary

Introduction

With the widespread application of visible-light-driven photocatalysts, Bi2WO6 has attracted more and more attention because of its unique crystal structure and physicochemical properties [1,2,3]. As the simplest member of the Aurivillius oxide family, Bi2WO6 exhibits good photocatalytic performance under visible-light irradiation. The combination of Bi2WO6 with other semiconductors has been proved to be an effective method for the preparation of the photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic performances. The coupling of Bi2WO6 with other semiconductors will broaden the light-absorption range via the formation of intermediate energy levels. The recombination rate of photo-induced charge carriers will be decreased because of the charge transfer on the interfaces of heterostructures.

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