Facile Formation of Bi2O2CO3/Bi2MoO6 Nanosheets for Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis

Bi2O2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterojunction catalysts were prepared by treating Bi2MoO6 sheets with aqueous NaHCO3 solutions at room temperature. All the Bi2O2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterojunctions exhibited higher activities than pristine Bi2MoO6 in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange, and ciprofloxacin under visible-light irradiation, and the most active photocatalyst was found to be the one with a C/Bi molar ratio of similar to 1/2.3. Relevant samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The higher activity of Bi2O2CO3/Bi2MoO6 than pristine Bi2MoO6 is explained by the enhanced separation and transfer of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, as verified by transient photocurrent densities, photo-luminescence spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Photogenerated holes (h(+)) and superoxide radical anions (O-center dot(2)-) were found to be the main active species. The good reusability of Bi2O2CO3/Bi2MoO6 was testified by cycling degradation of RhB and tetracycline hydrochloride.