Photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of uniform PbMoO4 polyhedral crystals synthesized by microemulsion-based solvothermal method

Well-defined and uniform PbMoO4 polyhedral crystals were successfully synthesized via a microemulsion-based solvothermal method. The structure and morphology of these crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), micro-Raman (MR) spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD and MR spectra confirmed that the PbMoO4 polyhedrons have a scheelite-type tetragonal structure. FESEM micrographs show that uniform PbMoO4 polyhedral crystals in the shape of regular 18-facet polyhedron with well-defined face contour can be prepared by microemulsion-based solvothermal method. The addition of nitrilotriacetic acid into the microemulsion reaction system was verified to play an important role in the formation of the uniform PbMoO4 polyhedrons. An intense blue PL emission at room temperature was observed in these PbMoO4 polyhedrons when they were excited with a 300 nm wavelength. The results of photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B showed that these PbMoO4 polyhedrons display excellent photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation.