Synthesis of Mo-doped WO₃ nanosheets with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties

Ion doping provides a powerful means for the fabrication of a functionalized photocatalyst that is both active and stable. Herein, a series of Mo-doped monoclinic WO₃ photocatalysts, in the form of well-shaped 2-dimension (2D) rectangular nanosheets, was successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process. It is assumed that Mo was homogeneously doped into the crystal lattice of WO₃. In addition to the 2D structure beneficial for charge transfer, Mo doping altered the band structure of WO₃, enabling further improvement of the photocatalytic activity on rhodamine B degradation over the nanosheets.