Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified Ag/AgO/AgPO/BiWO photocatalyst film with enhanced efficiency and stability under solar light.

BiWO photocatalyst possesses great photocatalytic properties, modification with Ag, AgO, and AgPO further improve its photocatalytic activity. Photocatalyst utilized as suspended powders in wastewater treatment imposes restrictions for practical application. Therefore, the design and fabrication of photocatalyst film with high efficiency and stability are crucial for practical application. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified AP-BWO (A: Ag, AgO; P: AgPO; BWO: BiWO) photocatalyst film coated on glass substrate was firstly synthesized with excellent photocatalytic activity and stability. BiWObased films were modified with different PEG molecular weight, dosage and coating layers, followed by characteristic analysis (SEM, TEM, XPS, UVvis, PL, and photocurrent density) and photodegradation test. Photodegradation showed that 2-layered of 12 g L PEG modified AP-BWO film exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity. XPS and TEM indicated that PEG-AP-BWO film was fabricated successfully. SEM and UV-vis denoted the photocatalyst film showed small particle size and strong visible-light absorption. Furthermore, PL and photocurrent density confirmed its low recombination and fast charge separation of electronhole pairs. The photocatalytic films showed high activity and stability in both 10-cycle repeatability experiments and tandem-type photocatalytic recycle system. Therefore, PEG-AP-BWO film with enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability was a promising alternative for wastewater treatment.