Hierarchical heterostructures of Bi(2)MoO(6) microflowers decorated with Ag(2)CO(3) nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of toxic pollutants

Developing highly active and durable visible-light-driven photocatalysts for the degradation of toxic pollutants is of vital significance. Herein, Ag(2)CO(3) nanoparticles were in situ formed on Bi(2)MoO(6) microflowers to produce Ag(2)CO(3)/Bi(2)MoO(6) heterostructures via a facile procedure. The morphologies, phases, chemical compositions, and optical properties of Ag(2)CO(3)/Bi(2)MoO(6) were examined by multiple characterization techniques. The Ag(2)CO(3)/Bi(2)MoO(6) heterostructures exhibited substantially improved performance in the removal of industrial dyes (rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), and methyl blue (MB)), and the antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), compared with bare Bi(2)MoO(6) and Ag(2)CO(3) under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of activity was attributed to the high charge-separation capacity, which results from the matched band alignment of the two components. The cycling experiments showed a good durability of Ag(2)CO(3)/Bi(2)MoO(6). Holes were found to be the dominant active species accounting for the pollutant degradation. This compound is a promising candidate for wastewater treatment.