Construction of a novel ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

A novel ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared, and the formation of the heterojunction was confirmed via HRTEM. Photocatalytic activity of as-prepared samples was evaluated through photodegradation of malachite green (MG). The degradation results show that the as-prepared 13% ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst exhibits higher activity than pure Bi2O3. The MG degradation rate for the as-prepared catalyst is as high as 94%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the broad photoabsorption and low recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which is driven by the photogenerated potential difference formed at the ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction interface.