Engineering of Z-scheme 2D/3D architectures with Bi2MoO6 on TiO2 nanosphere for enhanced photocatalytic 4-nitrophenol degradation

Abstract A novel Z-scheme Bi2MoO6 nanosheets/TiO2 nanosphere (BT) heterojunction in which numerous Bi2MoO6 nanosheets uniformly grow on the surface of TiO2 nanospheres was synthesized through a simple two-step hydrothermal process. The resulting BT heterostructures possess high surface areas and porous structures, providing abundant active sites for photocatalysis. The “line-to-surface” synergistic effect between Bi2MoO6 nanosheets and TiO2 nanospheres endow the Z-scheme heterojunction with high transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers and increased electron lifetime for photodegradation. As a result, the as-made BT photocatalysts present superier photocatalytic performance and excellent cyclic stability for the photodegradation of 4-nitrophenol in water than pure Bi2MoO6 and TiO2. The smart construction of novel Z-scheme structure in this work would afford a plausible way for designing the promising photocatalysts to address environmental matters.