Copper-containing complex oxides are promising candidates for light-driven catalysis such as photocatalytic pollutant removal/degradation, artificial photosynthesis, and photoelectrochemical water splitting due to their favorable bandgap for visible light absorption and high mobility of free carriers. We have previously demonstrated a Cu-rich solid state synthetic approach that enables the synthesis of the complex quaternary oxide CuBiW2O8 (CBTO) accompanied by thermodynamically stable Bi2WO6. Herein, we describe advances in the synthesis of this rather complex material with reduced impurity amount and reaction time. We will also discuss the first demonstration of CBTO as a functional material using photocatalytic Cr(VI) photoreduction as a probe reaction and photoelectrochemical properties towards water splitting. High reactivity of the CBTO for Cr(VI) photoreduction (~100% reduction in 15 minutes) clearly establishes the efficiency of this novel oxide, for visible light-driven photocatalytic applications. The influence of catalyst loading, pH, and presence of organic acids typically found in wastewaters on the photocatalytic efficiency were investigated. To gain further insight into the mechanism of the photo-redox reactions, several trapping experiments were performed along with transient absorption measurements to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of the charge carriers. Insights gained from correlating the synthesis conditions, carrier dynamics, and reactive species suggests that CBTO prepared with the improved protocol would be a favorable choice for photocatalytic reactions such as water decontamination from organic pollutants, water splitting and solar fuel generation using visible light.

Visible light active complex oxide CuBiW2O8: Synthesis and photocatalytic behaviour

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