Bi2MoO6 co-modified by reduced graphene oxide and palladium (Pd2+ and Pd0) with enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of phenol

- New ternary Pd-rGO-Bi2MoO6 composite was successfully prepared.
- The new composite showed excellent activity as a photocatalyst in phenol degradation.
- Band structures of pure Bi2MoO6 and Pd2+-Bi2MoO6 were respectively simulated based on DFT.
- Mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity was proposed and discussed.

A ternary Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst composite was hybridized for the first time, with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles decorated on the surface. As-prepared composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in the degradation of organic pollutants (phenol) in wastewater under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic performance when rGO and Pd nanoparticles combined with Bi2MoO6 may be attributed to the reduction of the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons/holes. Specifically, the rGO layer may serve as the electron accepter, which means photogenerated electrons can rapidly transfer to its surface instead of jumping back to the valence band and combining with positive holes. Additionally, the black-body property of graphite-like material contribute the increased harvesting capacity of visible-light photons. Furthermore, palladium nanoparticles distributed on the surface can also be stimulated by visible light photons due to the surface plasmon resonance effect, which further increased the utilization efficiency of visible light irradiation. This work opens a new possibility for efficient removal of phenolic compounds in wastewater via visible light-driven photocatalysis in the presence of a Pd-rGO- Bi2MoO6 ternary composite.

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