Abstract
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•Pd–Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanocomposites were used for photocatalytic degradation of Congo red under visible light.•Photocatalytic degradation of Congo red under visible light was dependent on wt.% of Pd.•Catalyst re-use revealed the present photocatalyst remain effective and active after five cycles.
A hydrothermal method was used to prepare Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles, and a photo-assisted deposition method was used to deposit palladium into the surface of Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles. BET, XRD, XPS, Pl, UV–Vis and TEM measurements were used to characterize the Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 and Pd/Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles. The photocatalytic oxidation of Congo red under visible light irradiation was used to determine the photocatalytic performance of the prepared nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the palladium was well dispersed on the surface of the Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles. Additionally, the surface area of the Pd/Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles was smaller than that of the Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles because some of the pores of the Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles were blocked by the deposited Pd metal. The Pd/Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles (0.3wt.%) exhibited the lowest band gap and the highest photocatalytic activity for the oxidation of Congo red. The photocatalytic performance of the 0.3wt.% Pd/Bi3.84W0.16O6.24 nanoparticles was stable after the nanoparticles were reused five times for the oxidation of Congo red.