In-situ construction of WC/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites for efficient photodegradation of bisphenol A with peroxymonosulfate activation

Exploring highly efficient catalyst is the key for integration of photocatalysis and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Herein, WC/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites were judiciously constructed by anchoring the non-noble metal plasmonic WC nanocrystals onto the surface of ultrathin Bi2WO6 nanosheets to activate PMS for efficient photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA). The prepared WC/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites possess abundant heterojunction interface, resulting in excellent photoabsorption capability, interfacial charge transfer dynamics, and charge carrier concentration. As expected, WC/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites exhibit superior catalytic activity and stability in PMS activation toward BPA degradation with removal efficiency of 97.4%, which is higher than that of Bi2WO6. The content of WC nanocrystals are critical to tune the catalytic activity of the nanocomposites. The intermediates and degradation pathways were determined through LC-MS/MS analysis. Finally, the reaction mechanism was systematically elucidated based on the active species detection, charge transfer dynamics, and band structures. The desirable photocatalytic performances can be ascribed to the constructional heterojunction between the WC nanocrystals and Bi2WO6 nanosheets, which can efficiently enhance the photoabsorption capability, heighten the interfacial charge transfer ability, and ameliorate the charge carrier concentration. This study provides some insights to construct highly efficient photocatalyst modification with non-noble metal based plasmonic materials for environmental remediation.