Fabrication of Bi2WO6 quantum dots/ultrathin nanosheets OD/2D homojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

A novel visible light-responsive homogeneous catalyst based on Bi2WO6 quantum dots (QDs-BWO)/Bi2WO6 nanosheets (N-BWO) was successfully fabricated through a simple hydro thermal method. A variety of techniques were employed to investigate the morphology, structure, and electronic properties of the samples. The photocatalytic performance of the QDs/N-BWO materials was investigated by monitoring the degradation of 4-chlorophenol and rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The as-fabricated QDs/N-BWO materials showed higher photocatalytic activity than both QDs-BWO and N-BWO. The results reveal that the incorporation of the QDs improved the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the results of quenching experiments show that O-2(-) species played a major role in the degradation process. This work provides an important reference for the fabrication of homogeneous catalysts with high performance in the degradation of different types of pollutants. (C) 2018, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.