Synthesis of monodisperse pancake-like Bi2WO6 with prominent photocatalytic performances

Uniform Bi2WO6 pancakes were prepared via a solvothermal route in a solvent mixture of glycerol (Gly) and water (V/V = 1). A variety of techniques including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron micrographs, X-ray powder diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, FT-IR spectra, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, were employed to characterize the structure and properties of the as-obtained Bi2WO6. It was found that Bi2WO6 pancakes showed prominent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) irradiation, which can be attributed to its good crystallization, large surface area, unique morphology and structural features.