Fabrication of Z-scheme γ-Bi2MoO6/Bi12GeO20 heterostructure for visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

In this study, an efficient and durable photocatalyst composed of Bi12GeO20 and γ-Bi2MoO6 through like Z-scheme mechanism was successfully obtained by heat treatment. The as-prepared Z-scheme 40γ-Bi2MoO6/Bi12GeO20 heterostructure presents the superior photocatalytic performance for degrading MBT, which is nearly 46 and 4.95 times higher than that of the pure Bi12GeO20 (kapp = 0.0007 min−1) and Bi2MoO6 (kapp = 0.0065 min−1), respectively. Meanwhile, the 40γ-Bi2MoO6/Bi12GeO20 heterostructure also shows the quite high photocatalytic performance for degrading TC, which is approximately 5.48 and 1.89 times higher than that of the pure Bi12GeO20 (kapp = 0.0021 min−1) and Bi2MoO6 (kapp = 0.0061 min−1), respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic performance originates from not only the strong interface between Bi12GeO20 and γ-Bi2MoO6, but also the unique Z-scheme system which can effectively promote the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and sufficiently utilize the photogenerated carriers for generating more active radicals. In addition, based on the active species trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trap technique, the photocatalytic mechanism over the Z-scheme γ-Bi2MoO6/Bi12GeO20 heterostructure is discussed in detail. The research may provide theoretical basis and significant guiding for future development of fabricating other Z-scheme heterostructure with superior photocatalytic performance and high stability. [Display omitted] •The synthesis of efficient Z-scheme γ-Bi2MoO6/Bi12GeO20 heterostructures.•Enhancement of the photocatalytic performance by forming Z-scheme structure.•The heterostructures towards the various organic pollutants degradation.