Preparation of Bi2WO6 photocatalyst by high-energy ball milled Bi2O3-WO3 mixture

Mechanochemical methods offer a simple and low-cost technique to synthesize nanomaterials. In this work, a new route for preparing Bi2WO6 photocatalyst combining high-energy ball milling and solid-state reactions is explored. By using the mechanochemically-activated Bi2O3-WO3 mixture as a starting raw material, the preparation temperature of Bi2WO6 is successfully reduced to 400 °C. The obtained Bi2WO6 nanopowder as-well-as the mechanochemically-activated Bi2O3-WO3 mixture show a considerable photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of Rhodamine B. Bi2WO6 nanopowders calcined at 400 °C exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity respect to powders calcined at a higher temperatures. The small amount of Bi2O3 and WO3 contained in the optimized photocatalysts is thought to be helpful in establishing a complex ternary heterostructure system, allowing for an improved visible-light driven photocatalytic activity. Experimental results show that a combination of high-energy ball milling and solid-state reactions could be a promising technique for fabricating highly efficient photocatalysts.