Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye using sepiolite/WO3 nanocomposite

A novel WO3/Sepiolite (WO3/Sep) composites were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal reaction. The morphology, structure, and photocatalytic properties of WO3/Sep were characterized in detail, and the results showed that WO3 nanoparticles with a diameter of about 50 nm were highly dispersed on the sepiolite nanofibers. WO3/Sep composites were tested as photocatalysts using methylene blue (MB) dye in water as model of a pollutant molecule, showing full decolorization after 150 min visible light irradiation. The trapping of active species showed that holes and superoxide radicals played important roles in the photocatalytic degradation of MB process. The excellent photocatalytic performance was ascribed to the oxygen vacancy in the crystals as charge traps, the effective charge separation, and the sepiolite carrier effect (large specific surface area, well distribution, and enhanced adsorption ability).