Photocatalytic properties of nanosized Bi2WO6 catalysts synthesized via a hydrothermal process

Nanosized Bi2WO6 was synthesized by a hydrothermal crystallization process. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area and porosity measurements, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectra, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoactivities of the as-prepared samples for the rhodamine-B photodegradation were investigated systematically. As a result, the sample prepared at 180 °C exhibited the highest photochemical activity under visible-light irradiation. The further experiments revealed that the catalyst was active in a wide spectral range. Density functional theory calculations suggested that the visible-light response was due to the transition from the valence band formed by the hybrid orbitals of Bi 6s and O 2p to the conduction band of W 5d. The photoactivity of the catalyst in relationship with the hydrothermal temperature, the crystal and band structure were also discussed in detail.