Modification of porous bismuth molybdate for high removal of antibiotics and H2O2 production†

The regulations of the Bi₂MoO₆ structure, such as dopant incorporation, composite formation, and synthesis condition modification, have garnered significant attention due to their implications for enhancing photocatalytic activity. In this study, potassium acetate was introduced into the synthesis of Bi₂MoO₆via a one-pot hydrothermal method to augment its photocatalytic efficiency. It was observed that the addition of potassium acetate effectively modulated the microstructure of Bi₂MoO₆. XRD and XPS analyses confirmed the incorporation of K⁺ ions into the [MoO₄]²⁻ and [Bi₂O₂]²⁺ layers, significantly influencing the phase structure and morphology of Bi₂MoO₆. Controlled addition of potassium acetate improved the dispersibility of Bi₂MoO₆, whereas excessive amounts led to a phase transition from Bi₂MoO₆ to Bi_3.64Mo_0.36O_6.55. The antibiotic degradation rate and H₂O₂ yield were used to evaluate the catalytic performance of the catalyst. Bi₂MoO₆ modified with potassium acetate exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency than unmodified Bi₂MoO₆. Specifically, the optimal BMO-1 sample exhibited 97.7% CIP degradation within 15 min of illumination. The enhanced adsorption efficiency was primarily attributed to the effective dispersion and the presence of mesopores. Furthermore, the introduction of oxygen vacancies and improved photogenerated carrier separation efficiency contributed to enhanced photocatalytic performance. This study introduces a novel method for structurally tuning bismuth molybdate.