Nano-Bi2MoO6/calcined mussel shell composites with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible-light irradiation

A novel visible-light-driven nano-Bi2MoO6/calcined mussel shell (CMS) photocatalyst composite was designed and synthesised by a facile hydrothermal method and characterised by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscope and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. The results indicated that 5% nano-Bi2MoO6/CMS photocatalysts composite exhibited the highest activity, and its RhB degradation efficiency reached 98.7% within 60 min, which was 1.2 times higher than that of the pure Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst. This work demonstrated that CMS powder could be utilised to fabricate Bi2MoO6/CMS photocatalyst nanocomposites for water-treatment applications and this study could provide a solution to the abandoned mussel shell resources from waste and environmental pollution.