Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic property of Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite material

The Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. As-prepared Bi2MoO6, ZnO, Bi2MoO6/ZnO samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the crystals of different substances grow independently. The highly crystalline ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure is embedded into the Bi2MoO6 matrix of a bismuth-layer orthorhombic structure. The aggregation of Bi2MoO6 particles are greatly reduced and particles with a small grain size can be finally obtained with the addition of ZnO. This morphology provides the additional surface area and thus permits the Bi2MoO6 particles to contact with the ZnO. The band gap of Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite material is estimated as 2.25 eV. The low band gap is attributed to the morphology and microstructure of Bi2MoO6/ZnO. Compared to pure ZnO, the valence band is widened and the conduction band is elevated, so the Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite has a narrowed band gap and shows enhanced photocatalytic activity for methyl orange photo-decomposition under sunlight irradiation. This feature may broaden the application scope of Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite, for example as an efficient photocatalyst.