Jiehui Xu

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 with oxygen vacancies by zirconium doping

To overcome the drawback of low photocatalytic efficiency brought by electron-hole recombination, Bi(2)WO(6) photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies were synthesized by zirconium doping. The oxygen vacancies as the positive charge centers can trap the electron easily, thus inhibiting the recombination of charge carriers and prolonging the lifetime of electron. Moreover, the formation of oxygen vacancies favors the adsorption of O(2) on the semiconductor surface, thus facilitating the reduction of O(2) by the trapped electrons to generate superoxide radicals, which play a key role in the oxidation of organics. Visible-light-induced photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and phenol were carried out to evaluate the photoactivity of the products. The results showed that oxygen-deficient Bi(2)WO(6) exhibited much enhanced photoactivity than the Bi(2)WO(6) photocatalyst free of oxygen deficiency. This work provided a new concept for rational design and development of high-performance photocatalysts.

Bi2WO6@carbon/Fe3O4 microspheres: preparation, growth mechanism and application in water treatment.

A novel Bi(2)WO(6)@carbon/Fe(3)O(4) nanostructure with a thin carbon interlayer was reported. Reactive carbon interlayer was introduced as a key component for the growth of Bi(2)WO(6) nanoplates on the magnetic Fe(3)O(4) microsphere. After the carbon layer was oxidized by the KMnO(4) in the basic solution, Bi(3+) ions could be adsorbed by the as produced -COO(-) groups and thus Bi(2)WO(6) nanoplates grew on the surface of the carbon/Fe(3)O(4) microspheres preferentially. The as-prepared nanocomposite, which could be easily recovered by a magnet, exhibited high efficiency in the photocatalytic decomposition of phenol with the assistance of H(2)O(2). The combination of photocatalyst and magnetic materials through a reactive carbon interlayer opens up a new route for the fabrication of complex and multifunctional nanostructure.