Highly effective interlayer expanded MoS2 coupled with Bi2WO6 as p-n heterojunction photocatalyst for photodegradation of organic dye under LED white light

The construction of a p-n heterojunction photocatalyst manage to conquer the setbacks of low photocatalytic activity caused by rapid charge recombination and precarious photo-response range. Herein, an interlayer of expanded MoS 2 coupled with Bi 2 WO 6 (BW-IEM) photocatalyst was synthesized for removal of Methylene Blue (MB) up to 97% (5.18 ×10 −2 min −1 ) under irradiation of low power 1 W LED white light. The outstanding photocatalytic performance of the p-n heterojunctions BW-IEM photocatalyst is mainly attributed to the enhancement of light harvesting, improvement in the separation of charge carriers, and coexistence of oxygen vacancy . The main reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for the photodegradation of MB were •O 2 - radicals and • OH. This work provides a new strategy for the potential IEM photocatalyst as a matrix in a p-n heterojunction composite. • p-n heterojunctions of interlayer expanded MoS 2 coupled with Bi 2 WO 6 . • 4% BW-IEM shows excellent LED white light driven photocatalytic activity . • Bi 2 WO 6 and oxygen vacancy enhances the separation of photogenerated carries. • • O 2 - and • OH radicals are the main reactive oxygen species.