Controllable Synthesis, Photocatalytic Property, and Mechanism of a Novel POM-Based Direct Z-Scheme Nano-Heterojunction α-Fe₂O₃/P₂Mo₁₈

Abstract

In order to improve photocatalytic activity and maximize solar energy use, a new composite material Fe2O3/P2Mo18 was prepared by combining polyoxometalates (P2Mo18) with Fe2O3 nanosheets. FT-IR, XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, UV-vis, EIS, and PL were used to characterize the composite material, and nano-Fe2O3 of different sizes and morphologies with a controllable absorption range was prepared by adjusting the reaction time, and, when combined with P2Mo18, a composite photocatalyst with efficient visible light response and photocatalytic activity was constructed. The EIS, Bode, and PL spectra analysis results show that the Fe2O3/P2Mo18 composite material has outstanding interfacial charge transfer efficiency and potential photocatalytic application possibilities. Model reactions of methylene blue (MB) and Cr (VI) photodegradation were used to evaluate the redox activity of Fe2O3/P2Mo18 composites under simulated visible light. The photocatalytic degradation rate was as high as 98.98% for MB and 96.86% for Cr (VI) when the composite ratio was Fe2O3/P2Mo18-5%. This research opens up a new avenue for the development of high-performance photocatalysts.

Keywords

• POM-based photocatalyst
• nano-heterojunction
• direct Z-scheme
• controllable synthesis