Nanosheets-assembled Bi2WO6 microspheres with efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities

The nanosheet-assembled Bi2WO6 microspheres could be successfully synthesized in large quantities by a facile hydrothermal strategy in the presence of surfactant hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) under mild conditions. The morphology and size of as-prepared Bi2WO6 could be readily controlled by adjusting the synthetic parameters such as hydrothermal time. The probable formation mechanism of nanosheet-assembled Bi2WO6 microspheres was discussed in detail. The hierarchical nanosheet-assembled microspheres could be constructed by orderly arranged nanosheets. The photocatalytic activity of the nanosheet-assembled Bi2WO6 microspheres was evaluated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) under irradiation of visible light. The brilliant photodegradation efficiency is about 98% under visible light irradiation for 50 min. The results suggest that the as-prepared Bi2WO6 microspheres have good prospects as the photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants.