Photoactivity enhancement of Zn-doped CdWO4 prepared with a hydrothermal method

• The zinc-doped CdWO4 photocatalyst was synthesized by a hydrothermal process.
• The Zn-doped CdWO4 exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency.
• Zinc effect on photocatalytic activity and photodegradation mechanism were investigated.

The zinc-doped CdWO4 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal process. The influences of zinc doping on the phase structures, optical properties, morphologies and photocatalytic activities of the CdWO4 catalyst were investigated. The results showed that the zinc-doping can enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of CdWO4 with the highest activity obtained on the Zn-doped CdWO4 (Zn/Cd ratio of 0.1) for degradation of rhodamine B(RhB) under simulated solar light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity may be attributed to the zinc doping which can change the band gap of the catalyst and subsequently inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes.

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