Synthesis of Mo-doped WO3 nanosheets with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties

Ion doping provides a powerful means for the fabrication of a functionalized photocatalyst that is both active and stable. Herein, a series of Mo-doped monoclinic WO3 photocatalysts, in the form of well-shaped 2-dimension (2D) rectangular nanosheets, was successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process. It is assumed that Mo was homogeneously doped into the crystal lattice of WO3. In addition to the 2D structure beneficial for charge transfer, Mo doping altered the band structure of WO3, enabling further improvement of the photocatalytic activity on rhodamine B degradation over the nanosheets.