Solvothermal synthesis of Bi2WO6 hollow structures with excellent visible-light photocatalytic properties

Bi2WO6 hollow structures consisting of nanoparticles with diameters of 10–20 nm were synthesized by a facile and reproducible solvothermal method in the presence of ethylene glycol. The obtained Bi2WO6 hollow structures exhibit higher photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, up to 99% within 40 min, which was much higher than P25-TiO2. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be attributed to their tiny building blocks as well as high BET surface areas (65.04 m2 g−1). The obtained Bi2WO6 hollow structures are chemically stable, and the efficiency remained almost the same after recycled five times, suggesting that Bi2WO6 hollow structures are promising visible-light photocatalyst for practical applications.

Bi2WO6 hollow structures consisting of nanoparticles with diameters of 10–20 nm were synthesized by a facile and reproducible solvothermal method. The obtained Bi2WO6 hollow structures exhibit superior visible-light photocatalytic property than P25-TiO2 as well as high cycling performance.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Bi2WO6 hollow structures were synthesized by a simple and reproducible solvothermal route.
► Compared with P25-TiO2, Bi2WO6 hollow structures show excellent photocatalytic property, and the catalyst shows high cycle performance under visible light irradiation.
► The excellent photocatalytic properties are attributed to their large surface area and small building blocks.