Tungsten-based nanocatalysts with different structures for visible light responsive photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A

Environmental pollution,such as water contamination,is a critical issue that must be absolutely addressed.Here,three different morphologies of tungsten-based photocatalysts(WO_(3)nanorods,WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanobricks,WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanorods)are made using a simple hydrothermal method by changing the solvents(H_(2)O,DMF,aqueous HCl solution).The as-prepared nanocatalysts have excellent thermal stability,large porosity,and high hydrophilicity.The results show all materials have good photocatalytic activity in aqueous media,with WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanorods(NRs)having the best activity in the photodegradation of bisphenol A(BPA)under visible-light irradiation.This may originate from increased migration of charge carriers and effective prevention of electron–hole recombination in WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs,whereby this photocatalyst is able to generate more reactive·OH and·O_(2)^(–)species,leading to greater photocatalytic activity.About 99.6% of BPA is photodegraded within 60 min when using 1.5 g/L WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs and 5.0 mg/L BPA at pH 7.0.Additionally,the optimal conditions(pH,catalyst dosage,initial BPA concentration)for WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs are also elaborately investigated.These rod-like heterostructures are expressed as potential catalysts with excellent photostability,efficient reusability,and highly active effectivity in different types of water.In particular,the removal efficiency of BPA by WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs reduces by only 1.5% after five recycling runs and even reaches 89.1%in contaminated lake water.This study provides promising insights for the nearly complete removal of BPA from wastewater or different water resources,which is advantageous to various applications in environmental remediation.