Two-step hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots/WO3 photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic performance

In this study, carbon nanodots (C-dots)/WO3 photocatalysts were prepared via a two-step hydrothermal method. The morphologies and optical properties of the as-prepared materials were investigated. Compared with the prepared WO3 and C-dots, the C-dots/WO3 possessed stronger photocatalytic capability and excellent recyclability for photocatalytic elimination of Rhodamine B. For example, the achieved first order reaction rate constant of 0.01942 min−1 for C-dots/WO3 was ∼7.7 times higher than that of the prepared WO3. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of C-dots/WO3 was attributed to the enhanced light harvesting ability and efficient spatial separation of photo-excited electron–hole pairs resulting from the synergistic effect of WO3 and C-dots. The high photocatalytic activity of C-dots/WO3 remained unchanged even after 3 cycles of use. Meanwhile, a possible mechanism of C-dots/WO3 for the enhanced photocatalytic activity was proposed.