Self-assembly and enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities of Bi2MoO6 by tungsten substitution

The different compositions of Bi2MoO6 by tungsten substitution have been successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process in the absence of a surfactant. All W-doped Bi2MoO6 samples were composed of nanosheets with similar orthorhombic Aurivillius layered structures. Bi2MoO6 samples show different phases varied with W content. For the Bi2MoO6 samples with the different nw values, their band gaps have changed obviously compared with Bi2MoO6 (2.69 eV) and Bi2WO6 (2.75 eV). The Bi2MoO6 by tungsten substitution exhibited good photocatalytic activity in degradation of Rhodamine-B under 500 W Xe lamp light irradiation. When nw value is 0.5, the sample has the highest photocatalytic activity for RhB photodecomposition under visible light irradiation. It shows that photocatalytic activities of Bi2MoO6 samples by W substitution are relevant to nanosheet morphology and size, the intrinsic layered structure, band gap and the W content.

Highlights▸ Different morphology of nanosheet-based Bi2MoO6 by W substitution is synthesized. ▸ Photocatalytic activity is closely related with shape, size and structure of sample. ▸ Our work opens new ideals to integrate the advantages of semiconductor materials.