Construction of a novel ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

A novel ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared, and the formation of the heterojunction was confirmed via HRTEM. Photocatalytic activity of as-prepared samples was evaluated through photodegradation of malachite green (MG). The degradation results show that the as-prepared 13% ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst exhibits higher activity than pure Bi2O3. The MG degradation rate for the as-prepared catalyst is as high as 94%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the broad photoabsorption and low recombination rate of photogenerated electronhole pairs, which is driven by the photogenerated potential difference formed at the ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction interface. (C) 2018 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.