Efficient Complete Oxidation of Acetaldehyde into CO2 over CuBi2O4/WO3 Composite Photocatalyst under Visible and UV Light Irradiation

A highly efficient and visible light responsive photocatalyst was developed by combining the p-type semiconductor CuBi2O4 and the n-type semiconductor WO3. CuBi2O4/WO3 showed higher reactivity than typical TiO2-based photocatalysts for the complete oxidation of acetaldehyde into CO2 under both UV and visible light. From photoelectrochemical measurements, the reaction mechanism is explained based on the model of the p−n photochemical diode for reductivity/oxdizability improvement.