Bi-MO bimetallic Co-catalyst modified Bi2MoO6 for enhancing photocatalytic performance

The hierarchical Bi/Mo/bismuth molybdate (Bi-Mo-BMO) hollow composite nanospheres were prepared by simple two-step reaction. Compared with pure Bi2MoO6, the depositing of Bi small nanosheets and Mo nanoparticles reduces the bandgap to 2.08 eV and enhances the absorption of visible light. Moreover, the unique structure and composition of Bi-Mo-BMO can offer abundant catalytic sites and large surface area and boost the separation and transfer of carriers. Benefiting from these favorable properties, the Bi-Mo-BMO nanocomposites exhibit a higher photocatalytic reduction ability of rhodamine B (RhB) than pure Bi2MoO6. In particular, the optimized Bi-Mo-BMO exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, and RhB can be degraded by 97% within 10 min, which is about 122 times that of pure Bi2MoO6. After eight cycles, Bi-Mo-BMO still maintains the original photocatalytic activity, indicating its excellent stability and repeatability. Based on the experimental results, the possible photocatalytic mechanism of Bi-Mo-BMO is proposed.