Layered MoSe2/Bi2WO6 composite with P-N heterojunctions as a promising visible-light induced photocatalyst

In this paper, layered MoSe2/Bi2WO6 composites were fabricated by a simple bath sonication method for photocatalytic applications. Their photocatalytic performances were then investigated via the photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous toluene under visible-light irradiation. As a result, 1.5%-MoSe2/Bi2WO6 catalyst showed the highest activity with a degradation rate of nearly 80% during three-hour visible-light irradiation. The k value determined of 1.5%-MoSe2/Bi2WO6 was approximately 6 times higher than that of pure Bi2WO6 and 7 times higher compared with pure MoSe2. After a series of characterizations, it was concluded that the p-n heterojunctions of MoSe2/Bi2WO6 composites with strong interlayer interactions could effectively prolong the life time of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. And both the contents of surface superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were thereby increased, benefitting the photocatalytic process. Furthermore, the hydroxyl radicals and holes were found to be the major active species. This work provided a way to design photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light driven photoactivity toward indoor air pollutants purification. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.