Optimized Design of Pt-Doped Bi2WO6 Nanoparticle Synthesis for Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

The preparation of photocatalytic heterostructures of platinum on Bi2WO6 nanoparticles by a wet reduction method is described in this report and compared with other preparation methods. The as-obtained photocatalysts were characterized by XPS and TEM, the results of which confirmed the presence of solely zero-valent metal nanoparticles on the surface of Bi2WO6. The photocatalytic activity of these heterostructures was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B under blue light (λmax = 445 nm). The deposited noble metal nanoparticles were shown to significantly improve the photocatalytic performance of the bismuth-based material under visible light. Both the preparation mode and the metal loading may impact on the efficiency. The observed photocatalytic enhancement has been attributed to an electron transfer from the semiconductor to the metal, which prevents fast electron/hole recombination. The electrons trapped in the metals may then participate in the multi-electron reduction of O2.