Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B by Bi2O3/Cs3PW12O40 composite under visible-light irradiation and its enhanced photocatalytic activity

A novel Bi 2 O 3 /Cs 3 PW 12 O 40 (Bi 2 O 3 /CsPW) composite was prepared by depositing Bi 2 O 3 on the surface of spherical Cs 3 PW 12 O 40 . The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized using XRD, XPS, FT-IR, BET, SEM, TEM, and UV–Vis. The results revealed that the composite was a typical Keggin-type photocatalyst. Compared with pure Bi 2 O 3 and CsPW, the composite exhibited high photocatalytic degradation activity for rhodamine B (RhB). The 10% Bi 2 O 3 /CsPW nanocomposite could decompose 92.7% of RhB under visible-light irradiation for 240 min. The improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency is mainly due to the enhanced absorption of visible-light and effective separation of photo-induced carriers caused by heterojunction formation. The active species capture tests confirmed that RhB photodegradation using Bi 2 O 3 /CsPW composite was mainly controlled by h + and·O 2− oxidation reactions. Furthermore, Bi 2 O 3 /CsPW composite displayed good stability under cyclic experiments.