Photo-Induced Charge Transfer on Pt/Bi2WO6 Composite Photocatalysts

Abstract

Pt/Bi2WO6 composite photocatalysts were prepared by a facile photoreduction method. Pt nanoparticles with an average size of 5–8 nm were successfully deposited on the surface of Bi2WO6 microspheres and the photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 was greatly improved by Pt nanoparticles. The photo-induced charge transfer properties of samples were studied by means of surface photovoltage (SPV) and transient photovoltage (TPV) techniques, giving an insight into the intrinsic reasons of the improvement in photocatalytic activity. The SPV and TPV results revealed that the deposited Pt nanoparticles could trap photo-induced electrons and then largely enhance the separation efficiency of photo-induced charge carriers.