Constructing novel WO3/Fe(III) nanofibers photocatalysts with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity via interfacial charge transfer effect

In this work, we have prepared a series of efficient visible-light-driven WO 3 /Fe(III) nanofiber photocatalysts by electrospinning and impregnation method. The physical and optical properties of the prepared photocatalysts were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the nitrogen adsorption analysis. Under the irradiation of visible light , all the prepared WO 3 /Fe(III) nanofiber photocatalysts exhibit much higher activity for degrading methyl orange (MO) solution than the pristine WO 3 nanofibers, and reaches 94.6% under visible light irradiation for 3 h when the relative grafting amount of Fe(III) ions was 0.003 by mass percentage. Grafting of Fe(III) ions on the surface of WO 3 nanofiber could enhance its visible-light absorption and reduce the photo-generated electron-hole pairs recombination due to the interfacial charge transfer (IFCT) effect, and thus improve its photocatalytic activity , which were further verified by the ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), photoluminescence (PL) and the ns-level time-resolved fluorescence decay spectrum measurements.