In Situ Synthesis of Bi(2)MoO(6)/Bi(2)SiO(5) Heterojunction for Efficient Degrading of Persistent Pollutants

Photocatalytic degradation is an environmentally friendly way to eliminate environmental pollution. Exploring a photocatalyst with high efficiency is essential. In the present study, we fabricated a Bi(2)MoO(6)/Bi(2)SiO(5) heterojunction (BMOS) with intimate interfaces via a facile in situ synthesis method. The BMOS had much better photocatalytic performance than pure Bi(2)MoO(6) and Bi(2)SiO(5). The sample of BMOS-3 (3:1 molar ratio of Mo:Si) had the highest removal efficiency by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) up to 75% and tetracycline (TC) up to 62% within 180 min. The increase in photocatalytic activity can be attributed to constructing high-energy electron orbitals in Bi(2)MoO(6) to form a type II heterojunction, which increases the separation efficiencies of photogenerated carriers and transfer between the interface of Bi(2)MoO(6) and Bi(2)SiO(5). Moreover, electron spin resonance analysis and trapping experiments showed that the main active species were h(+) and •O(2)(−) during photodegradation. BMOS-3 maintained a stable degradation capacity of 65% (RhB) and 49% (TC) after three stability experiments. This work offers a rational strategy to build Bi-based type II heterojunctions for the efficient photodegradation of persistent pollutants.