Enhancing the visible light absorption and charge separation of Bi₂WO₆ by hybridizing a CuTCPP sensitizer

In order to utilize solar light more efficiently, a Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst was sensitized by Cu(ii) meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (CuTCPP). The obtained CuTCPP/Bi₂WO₆ composite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of an organic pollutant, rhodamine B (RhB), under simulated solar light irradiation as well as visible light beyond the absorption edge of Bi₂WO₆ (λ > 450 nm). The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the sensitization effect of CuTCPP, which increased the visible-light harvesting, as well as the well-matched overlapping band structures between CuTCPP and Bi₂WO₆, which facilitated the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Therefore, the CuTCPP/Bi₂WO₆ nanohybrid may be used as a promising photocatalyst in environmental remediation.