Interfacial engineering over tungsten oxide by constructing Z-scheme interatomic junction for efficient photocatalytic tetrachlorophenol degradation

Surface defect states and lattice mismatch are two most crucial problems to be resolved in hetero-interface photocatalysts design for achieving highly efficient photocatalytic performance. Co-grown interfacial regulation strategy has been pointed out in this work as a feasible way for fabrication interatomic junction with less-defective and abrupt interface. By simply hydrothermal step, the selected model 26 h/o-WO3 hetero-phase junction with outstanding interface structure is prepared. Two constituents of 26 h/o-WO3, h-WO3 and o-WO3·H2O connect to each other though consecutive -W-O-W- chemical bonds with 0.058 lattice mismatching at their interface. This novel 26 h/o-WO3 interatomic junction exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Tetrachlorophenol as compared with its comparative 26 h/o-WO3(L) prepared by loading method, as well as pristine h-WO3 and o-WO3·H2O. Investigations on the charge dynamics and carriers separation mechanism demonstrate that the superior photocatalytic activity mainly results from the synergistic effects of ultrafast carrier transport, and great driving force from internal electric field formed though consecutive chemical bonds at interface. This work provides a facile way to develop interatomic junction showing great internal electric field for boosting photocatalytic activities.