Photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of uniform PbMoO4 polyhedral crystals synthesized by microemulsion-based solvothermal method

Abstract Well-defined and uniform PbMoO 4 polyhedral crystals were successfully synthesized via a microemulsion-based solvothermal method. The structure and morphology of these crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), micro-Raman (MR) spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD and MR spectra confirmed that the PbMoO 4 polyhedrons have a scheelite-type tetragonal structure. FESEM micrographs show that uniform PbMoO 4 polyhedral crystals in the shape of regular 18-facet polyhedron with well-defined face contour can be prepared by microemulsion-based solvothermal method. The addition of nitrilotriacetic acid into the microemulsion reaction system was verified to play an important role in the formation of the uniform PbMoO 4 polyhedrons. An intense blue PL emission at room temperature was observed in these PbMoO 4 polyhedrons when they were excited with a 300 nm wavelength. The results of photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B showed that these PbMoO 4 polyhedrons display excellent photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation.