Enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance of Bi2 WO6 via O3 modification.

Bi₂WO₆ with enhanced photocatlytic degradation performance was successfully synthesized by a facile O3 etching method. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Characterization results revealed that the O₃ treated Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst has abundant of oxygen vacancies, which could effectively restrain recombination of photon-generated carriers, broaden light absorption region, serve as photocatalytic reaction center. Moreover, the photocatalytic activities of the prepared photocatalysts were evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of benzidine under a xenon lamp irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of treated Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst samples with O₃ pose a greater improvement. Among that, the O₃-Bi₂WO₆-3-4 modifying with ozone flux of 3.0 L/min for 4 h photocatalytic degradation of benzidine wastewater reached ~76.0% in 180 min under the irradiation of xenon lamp light (λ = 420 nm), which is about ~2.1 times higher than that of pure Bi₂WO₆. Moreover, the photocatalytic activities of the modified Bi₂WO₆ via O₃ exhibit without significantly decrease after four cycles, indicating that the photocatalyst has a favourable application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]