One-pot solvothermal synthesis of heterogeneous Bi/Bi2WO6/BiOBr composite with high adsorption and photocatalytic performance

Adsorption and photocatalysis are two effective strategies to govern the worsening water pollution problem. Exploitation of multifunctional adsorbents and/or photocatalysts is one of the most attractive frontiers of current research. Bismuth-based compounds have stood out from enormous candidates in virtue of their abundance, low toxicity and high efficiency. In this study, heterogeneous Bi/Bi2WO6/BiOBr composite is synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal method. Benefiting from the large specific surface area, enhanced light absorption and high separation efficiency of the photogenerated electrons and holes, the tri-phase Bi/Bi2WO6/BiOBr composite exhibits outstanding adsorption performance for the cationic dye Rhodamine B and superior photocatalytic performance for Methyl Orange. The Bi/Bi2WO6/BiOBr composite degrades ~ 97.8% of MO within 60 min, whose reaction rate is 13 times of Bi2WO6, 5 times of Bi/Bi2WO6, 1.9 times of Bi/BiOBr and 4.8 times of BiOBr. Simultaneously, the Bi/Bi2WO6/BiOBr photocatalyst shows excellent recycling efficiency. The multifunctional heterostructural composite holds promise for applications in the field of environmental treatment.