SPR-promoted Bi/Bi2WO6 heterojunction with effectively enhanced visible light photocatalytic degradation of pollutants

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of plasmonic metals is an effective strategy for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, we successfully synthesized the SPR-promoted Bi/Bi 2 WO 6 heterojunction photocatalysts by in situ reduction of Bi 3 + in Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets to plasmonic Bi via a facile solvothermal method. The size of Bi nanoparticles on the surface of Bi 2 WO 6 was adjusted by varying the solvothermal temperature. After 15 min of visible light irradiation, the Bi/Bi 2 WO 6 heterojunction with a suitable size of metal Bi obtained after solvothermal treatment at 160°C exhibited 100 % degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), which was 2.3 times greater than that of the pure Bi 2 WO 6 . The excellent photodegradation performance of this sample can be attributed to the SPR effect of metal Bi, which enhances light absorption, generates active sites and species, and facilitates rapid carrier transfer. Additionally, the formation of the Bi/Bi 2 WO 6 Schottky heterojunction promotes carrier separation and minimizes the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Furthermore, a potential mechanism for the photodegradation process of the synthesized photocatalyst has been proposed. This work not only offers new perspectives on in situ fine-tuning strategies for Bi-based photocatalysts but also demonstrates the potential of low-cost metallic Bi as a viable alternative to noble metals for enhancing photocatalytic performance.