Facile preparation of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Bi2WO6 with high photocatalytic activity

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Bi2WO6 (3DOM Bi2WO6) with mesoporous walls was firstly realized by a hard template synthesis method. The commercially available bismuth nitrate and phosphotungstic acid were used as the precursors to prepare the 3DOM Bi2WO6 sample without introducing other complex agents. The as-prepared 3DOM Bi2WO6 was composed of periodically arranged Bi2WO6 hollow spheres with a diameter of about 90 nm. Because of its particular ordered macroporous and mesoporous structure, the 3DOM Bi2WO6 exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity on the degradation of phenol and aqueous ammonia under irradiation from simulated sunlight. Its photocatalytic activity is much higher than that of the Bi2WO6 samples prepared by hydrothermal synthesis (HR) and solid-state reaction (SSR) methods. This work provides a simple way to prepare bismuth-based 3DOM multiple metal oxides with excellent performance.