Construction of Bi₂WO₆ homojunction via QDs self-decoration and its improved separation efficiency of charge carriers and photocatalytic ability

The Bi₂WO₆ homojunction is successfully synthetized via simple adjusting the amount of raw materials within a transitory hydrothermal reaction of 2h. Such unique homojunction is constructed through the overgrowth of QDs on the nanoflake unit surfaces of the Bi₂WO₆ hierarchical structure, which alters the optical absorption property of the samples owing to quantum effect. Photocurrent responses and PL spectra indicate Bi₂WO₆ homojunction can effectively separate electron-hole pairs and suppress their recombination. The as-prepared samples show the higher efficiency for the photocatalytic degradation of the typical RhB dye compared with the previous reported hierarchical structured Bi₂WO₆ under visible light. This work provides a new strategy for improving photodegradation activity of Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst.