One-step construction of Sn-doped Bi₂MoO₆ nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic organic pollutants degradation and Cr(VI) reduction

Photocatalytic technology is widely used to remove environmental pollutants, and the development of high-performance photocatalysts is an important prerequisite for boosting photocatalytic processes. Herein, Sn-doped Bi₂MoO₆ nanosheets were constructed by one-step solvothermal method. The experimental results indicate that the Sn doping not only tunes the band structure of Bi₂MoO₆, but also effectively promotes the photogenerated charge separation, thus providing abundant free charge for photocatalytic reactions. The optimized Sn-Bi₂MoO₆-2 sample shows enhanced TC, MBT degradation and Cr(VI) removal efficiency compared with that of pristine Bi₂MoO₆. Moreover, the experiments with different pH, inorganic cations and anions were carried out to investigate the practical application potential of the photocatalyst, and the Sn-Bi₂MoO₆-2 also exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance for decomposing antibiotic contaminants in river water. Furthermore, the mass spectra and radical trapping experiments explored the possible photocatalytic degradation processes. This work explored the multiple positive roles of Sn-Bi₂MoO₆ materials in the photocatalytic system, which provides a promising strategy for constructing efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.