Surfactant-free synthesis of Bi2WO6 multilayered disks with visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity

The synthesis of bismuth tungstate (Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}) multilayered disk which was constructed by oriented square nanoplates was easily realized via a simple surfactant-free hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to investigate the as-obtained product. The results indicated that the three-dimensional (3D) Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} multilayered disk was constructed by self-assembly of square nanoplates via a perfect oriented manner. The formation mechanism of the product was carefully investigated on the basis of the results of time-dependent experiments. In addition, studies of the photocatalytic property demonstrated that the as-obtained Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} could exhibit excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB).