Construction of 0D/3D ZnWO4-MoS2 Heterojunction with Enhanced Charge Carrier Separation for Decomposition of Organic Pollutants under Visible Light Irradiation

In the present research, 0D/3D ZnWO4-MoS2 heterojunction was prepared through a two-step hydrothermal procedure and applied for degradation of MB dye from aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. XRD and FESEM analyses were conducted to conform the successful incorporation of ZnWO4 nanoparticles into the flowerlike MoS2 structure. Based on the obtained results, heterojunction with 30% wt. of ZnWO4 revealed the best photocatalytic performance compared to the other heterojunction samples. This improvement is mainly attributed to the p-n heterojunction effect where the photoinduced electrons and holes could can be effectively separated on the different semiconductors, thus facilitating the formation of radical active species and resulting in efficient enhancement of photocatalytic performance. Moreover, the results obtained from DRS analysis confirmed that visible light absorption of the heterojunction samples decreased as the ZnWO4 content exceeded 30% wt., which corresponds to the shielding effect of the UV-responsive ZnWO4 component. Hydroxyle radicals was determined as the main active species responsible for photodecomposition of MB.