In-situ hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2/Bi2WO6 heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract Highly dispersed TiO 2 -modified Bi 2 WO 6 microflowers were synthesized by using the hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of as-prepared samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, Raman, UV-vis DRS, and TR-PL spectra. The heterostructured TiO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 exhibits a higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO 2 and Bi 2 WO 6 under visible and UV-vis light irradiation. In addition, the recycling experiments indicate that TiO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 is excellent stability even after 5 five cycling runs. TR-PL spectra confirm that the coupling of Bi 2 WO 6 with TiO 2 significantly prolongs the lifetime of charge carriers. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 is mainly attributed to the optimized bandgap and heterojunction, which absorb more visible light and prolong the carrier lifetime.