Facile synthesis of Sb2WO6 with gradient oxygen vacancies for high photocatalytic activity

The Sb2WO6 photocatalyst is synthesized by introducing oxygen vacancies through acetylene annealing. The number of oxygen vacancies can be adjusted by varying the annealing duration. Oxygen vacancy defects in Sb2WO6 change the surface chemical properties, enhance the separation of carriers, broaden the absorption of visible light, and activate the catalytic sites, resulting in overall enhancement of the photocatalytic properties. The significance of surface oxygen vacancies and pertinent mechanisms of photocatalytic oxidation are described. Our results reveal a promising method to improve the properties of Sb2WO6-based materials for applications such as the treatment of wastewater.