Bi 2 WO 6 Nanocrystals with High Photocatalytic Activities under Visible Light

Visible-light-induced photocatalyst Bi 2 WO 6 with the size of ca. 30 nm has been synthesized via a facile template-free hydrothermal method. The effects of the pH values of the precursor suspensions and hydrothermal time on the photocatalytic activities of the Bi 2 WO 6 nanoplates have been investigated in detail. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared Bi 2 WO 6 was about 8−10 times higher than that of the product prepared by solid-state reaction, which was evaluated by the degradation of RhB dye in water under visible light irradiation. Even under the illumination of a compact fluorescent lamp, the nanosized Bi 2 WO 6 also exhibited high photocatalytic activity.