Preparation of flower globule Pd@Bi2WO6 catalyst and its photocatalytic performance in imines synthesis reaction

The Bi₂WO₆ (BWO) catalyst and x-Pd@Bi₂WO₆ (x-Pd@BWO) catalysts with varying loading ratios were synthesized using the hydrothermal method and NaBH₄ reduction method. The BWO catalyst exhibits a unique flower-like globule composed of interlaced nanosheets, demonstrating excellent photocatalytic properties. The incorporation of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) further enhances its light absorption capability and promotes efficient separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers. Experimental results show that 3 wt% Pd@BWO achieves a high conversion rate of 86.2 % for the catalytic synthesis of imine under visible light irradiation, along with excellent stability and recyclability under experimental conditions. A variety of characterization techniques were employed to systematically analyze the crystal structure, morphology, optical properties, charge separation efficiency, and specific surface area of the catalyst. Combined with the results of capturing experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to elucidate the band structure, density of states, electronic density difference, and adsorption energies, providing deep theoretical insights into the photocatalytic performance of x-Pd@BWO. Based on these findings, the plausible reaction mechanism for the photocatalytic generation of imines was further proposed. This work provides useful reference for the preparation of high-performance BWO based photocatalysts.