Enhanced visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic activities of LiInO 2 by Mo 6+ ‐doping strategy

Abstract A novel visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst of Mo‐doped LiInO 2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized through a sol‐gel method. The effect of Mo‐doping concentrations on the microstructures and properties of LiInO 2 was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectra. The photocatalytic properties of the as‐prepared samples were evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible‐light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the photocatalytic activity of 6% Mo‐LiInO 2 reached to 98.6%, which was much higher than that of the undoped photocatalyst LiInO 2 (only 46.8%). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is ascribed to Mo‐doping strategy. The holes play an important role in the process of the photodegradation of MB. The superior photocatalytic activity of the as‐prepared Mo‐LiInO 2 nanocomposites suggests a potential application for organic dye degradation of wastewater remediation. This work provides a further understanding on tailoring the band structure of semiconductor photocatalyst for enhancing visible‐light absorption and promoting electron‐hole separation by Mo‐doping strategy.