Facile synthesis of Z-scheme Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 composite for highly effective visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene

In this paper, nitrobenzene was found to be efficiently degraded by the as-prepared Z-scheme Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst under visible light. The Bi2WO6 and the composites were fabricated individually by solid phase synthesis and water-assisted grinding method. The crystal structure, morphologies, interface, optical property and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of samples were examined by different characterization techniques. The tests on photodegradation of nitrobenzene stated clearly the as-prepared composite exhibited evidently enhanced photocatalytic performace compared with uniphase material. Additionally, the optimal Bi2O3 content in the coupled photocatalysts was 2%. The supreme rate constant of nitrobenzene degradation was almost 3.1 and 2.7 times that of single Bi2O3 and Bi2WO6 , respectively. The obviously increased photocatalytic performance of the composite was due to the highly effective separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs over the Z-scheme structure formed between Bi2O3 and Bi2WO6. The investigation provides great potential applications in treatment of the toxic and refractory wastewater.

Automated summary

This study investigated the degradation of nitrobenzene under visible light by the Z-scheme Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst, revealing significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance compared to individual materials. The optimal content of Bi2O3 in the coupled photocatalysts was 2%, resulting in a degradation rate of nitrobenzene that was 3.1 to 2.7 times higher than that of single Bi2O3 and Bi2WO6. The improved performance of the composite was attributed to the effective separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs in the Z-scheme structure formed between Bi2O3 and Bi2WO6.