Hierarchical heterostructures of Bi2MoO6 microflowers decorated with Ag2CO3 nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of toxic pollutants

Abstract

Developing highly active and durable visible-light-driven photocatalysts for the degradation of toxic pollutants is of vital significance. Herein, Ag2CO3 nanoparticles were in situ formed on Bi2MoO6 microflowers to produce Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures via a facile procedure. The morphologies, phases, chemical compositions, and optical properties of Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6 were examined by multiple characterization techniques. The Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures exhibited substantially improved performance in the removal of industrial dyes (rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), and methyl blue (MB)), and the antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), compared with bare Bi2MoO6 and Ag2CO3 under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of activity was attributed to the high charge-separation capacity, which results from the matched band alignment of the two components. The cycling experiments showed a good durability of Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6. Holes were found to be the dominant active species accounting for the pollutant degradation. This compound is a promising candidate for wastewater treatment.