Simultaneous introduction of 0D Bi nanodots and oxygen vacancies onto 1D Bi6Mo2O15 sub-microwires for synergistically enhanced photocatalysis

Bi6Mo2O15 is a promising photocatalyst toward environmental remediation due to its high ionic conductivity. However, the high band gap value and fast charge recombination rate limit its photocatalytic efficiency. To tackle these issues, we prepared 1D Bi6Mo2O15 sub-microwires by a molten salt-assisted synthesis approach. Then the as-synthesized photocatalysts were further modified through a facile chemical reduction treatment to introduce 0D Bi nanodots and oxygen vacancies (OVs). Due to the synergistic effects of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Bi and the formation of OVs, the Bi deposited Bi6Mo2O15 (B-BMO) heterojunctions manifested excellent photocatalytic performance for tetracycline (TC) degradation. Under visible-light illumination, the 3% B-BMO (3% meant the mass ratio of NaBH4 and Bi6Mo2O15 was 3:100) presented a highest TC degradation efficiency of 98%, much higher than that of the pristine Bi6Mo2O15 (13.4%). Moreover, the possible TC degradation pathways were established based on the identification of degradation products by HPLC-MS/MS. This study provides new insights into the rational design and development of other bismuth-based photocatalysts with superior photocatalytic performance for environmental applications.

Automated summary

By preparing 1D Bi6Mo2O15 sub-microwires and modifying them with Bi nanodots and oxygen vacancies, the photocatalytic performance of Bi6Mo2O15 was greatly enhanced. The Bi deposited Bi6Mo2O15 heterojunctions showed excellent photocatalytic efficiency for tetracycline degradation, achieving a highest degradation efficiency of 98% under visible-light illumination. This study sheds light on the rational design and development of bismuth-based photocatalysts for environmental applications.