Enhancement of Visible Light-Driven Bismuth Tungstate Photocatalyst via CTAB-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis
摘要
In this study, bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal method. The effects of CTAB amount on the properties of Bi2WO6 were investigated. The photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution. The crystal structure and light absorption were almost unchanged by the addition of CTAB. The synthesized Bi2WO6 exhibited a flower-like spherical morphology composed of self-assembled nanoplates. The size of the nanoplates decreased, while the specific surface areas increased with the addition of CTAB. The CTAB-modified Bi2WO6 samples exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The highest RhB degradation achieved by the CTAB-modified Bi2WO6 within 90 min was 84%, higher than that of 38% of the pristine Bi2WO6. These results indicated that CTAB plays an important role in controlling Bi2WO6 morphology and enhancing photocatalytic activity.