Embellishing {0 0 1} surface of Bi2MoO6 nanobelts with enhanced photocatalytic performance and mechanisms exploration

Improving the ability of photocatalysts to capture and degrade dye pollutants is essential for the development of photocatalytic technology. Herein, a Bi 2 MoO 6 belt-like morphology with significantly enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance was obtained by solvent hydrothermal combining ethanol heat treatment technique. The Raman, FTIR, TEM, ESR, EIS and PL results demonstrate that the formation of defects on the {0   0   1} facet of BMO can effectively promote charge separation and prolong the life of optical carriers. The photocatalytic performance is evaluated by monitoring different concentrations RhB removal from aqueous solution and the results showed that defective Bi 2 MoO 6 nanobelts displayed 39 times and 60 times degradation rate than that of comparative conventional Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets and P25, respectively. In combination of controllable preparation process, excellent adsorption capacity and highly enhanced photocatalytic performance, this newly defective Bi 2 MoO 6 nanobelt might be a promising candidate for degradation of organic dyes in wastewater.