Oxygen-deficient bismuth tungstate and bismuth oxide composite photoanode with improved photostability

A homogeneous layer of Bi2O3-Bi14WO24 composite (BWO/Bi2O3) thin film was fabricated using a combination of electrodeposition and thermal treatment. The evenly distributed Bi14WO24 component within the Bi2O3 layer was found to be important in stabilising the photoelectrochemical performances of Bi2O3 photoanode by promoting the photoelectron transport. The unmodified Bi2O3 suffered from severe photocorrosion as proven by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analyses while the composite thin film was active without noticeable activity decay for at least 3 h of illumination. This strategy might be applicable to other photocatalysts with stability issues.