Enhanced photocatalytic activity of bismuth molybdate via hybridization with carbon

The bismuth molybdate Bi3.64Mo0.36O6.55 (BMO) was successfully synthesized by a rapid and convenient microwave-assisted method. Carbon was introduced to hybridize with BMO material (BMO/C) through the simple combination of hydrothermal process in the presence of glucose and subsequent calcination treatment in N-2 gas at 280 degrees C. The products were characterized by the study of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that carbon did not affect the final crystalline structure of BMO, but it had great influences on the photocatalytic activity of BMO towards rhodamine-B (RhB) degradation. The improved photocatalytic performance could be ascribed to the enhanced photogenerated electron-hole separation and more RhB adsorption associated with carbon. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.