Facile preparation of a novel Bi2Wo6/calcined mussel shell composite photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Abstract

The exploration of cost-effective and highly effcient photocatalysts is still a great challenge. In this work, a cost-effective and highly active Bi2WO6/calcined mussel shell (CMS/BWO) composite photocatalyst was prepared by a facile solvothermal route, in which Bi2WO6 nanosheets were tightly, evenly, and vertically grown on waste calcined mussel shells (CMS). Multiple techniques are adopted to characterize the phases, morphology, and chemical properties of the as-fabricated catalysts. In contrast to the stacked Bi2WO6, CMS/BWO has numerous exposed edges and open transfer pathways, which can create more open space and reactive sites for photocatalytic reactions. Such favourable characteristics enable CMS/BWO to effciently degrade organic pollutants (e.g., rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC)) under visible light. Moreover, the generation of reactive species during the photocatalytic process is also examined by trapping experiments, disclosing the pivotal role of photo-generated holes (h+) and hydroxyl radicals (ffOH) in the photo-degradation of pollutants. Above all, this study not only provides an effcient photocatalyst for environmental remediation, but it also opens up new possibilities for waste mussel shell reutilization.