Fabrication of Ag2WO4/BiFeO3 heterojunction with enhanced charge separation for efficient degradation of organic dyes

An efficient Ag 2 WO 4 /BiFeO 3 heterojunction was successfully synthesized using a facile hydrothermal and in situ precipitation method. A comprehensive investigation was conducted into the morphological, structural, and optical properties of the Ag 2 WO 4 /BiFeO 3 heterojunction. The optimally synthesized Ag 2 WO 4 /BiFeO 3 heterojunction demonstrated an impressive removal efficiency toward Lanasol Red 5B (95.62%) within 100 min under simulated solar irradiation, which was 5.18-fold higher than pristine BiFeO 3 . The engineered heterojunction effectively optimized the electron transfer pathway, significantly enhancing the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. A notable selectivity of the Ag₂WO₄/BiFeO₃ heterostructure was observed in the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under simulated solar irradiation. The removal efficiencies followed the order: Lanasol Red 5B (95.62%) > Congo red (50.47%) > Methyl red (47.16%) > Safranin T (22.22%) > Rhodamine B (8.07%) > Methyl orange (3.04%). Furthermore, active species trapping experiments confirmed that holes and superoxide radicals were the predominant reactive species driving the photocatalytic process. This simple synthesis method opens up new possibilities for developing efficient BiFeO 3 -based photocatalysts for environmental remediation purposes.