We investigate the impact of crystallographic orientation on the photocatalytic activity of single crystalline WO3 thin films prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB). A clear effect is observed, with (111) being the most reactive surface, followed by (110) and (001). Photoreactivity is directly correlated with surface free energy calculated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The RhB photodegradation mechanism on (110) surface is found to involve hydroxyl radicals in solution formed from photo-generated holes and differs from previous studies performed on nanoparticles and composites.
Revised: August 26, 2015 |
Published: May 11, 2015
Citation
Li G., T. Varga, P. Yan, Z. Wang, C.M. Wang, S.A. Chambers, and Y. Du. 2015.Crystallographic Dependence of Photocatalytic Activity of WO3 Thin Films Prepared by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 17, no. 23:15119-15123.PNNL-SA-108744.doi:10.1039/c5cp01344e