Hydrothermal preparation of Au-doped Bi2WO6 nanoplates for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B

Undoped Bi2WO6 and Au-doped Bi2WO6 nanoplates were prepared via a simple hydrothermal method. The physical and chemical properties of the as-synthesized undoped Bi2WO6 and Au-doped Bi2WO6 samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectrophotometry, UV-visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The analytical results showed that the undoped Bi2WO6 and Au-doped Bi2WO6 samples were orthorhombicBi(2)WO(6) nanoplates with no detection of other phases. The oxidation state of Au ions was +3 and successfully incorporated in Bi2WO6 lattice. The photocatalytic activities of the nanoplates were investigated through the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. In this research, 3% Au-doped Bi2WO6 nanoplates have the lowest emission intensity and good absorption in the UV-visible region with the absorption edge of 437 nm. They also have the highest RhB degradation of 96.25% under visible light irradiation within 240 min and were 2.15 times of pure Bi2WO6 nanoplates.

Automated summary

Undoped Bi2WO6 and Au-doped Bi2WO6 nanoplates were prepared and characterized. Au-doped Bi2WO6 nanoplates showed the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.