• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.714-718
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• 2015

Both lead molybdate ($PbMoO_4$) and chromium substituted lead molybdate ($PbMo_{1-x}Cr_xO_4$) were successfully synthesized using a conventional hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, DRS, Raman, SEM and PL. We also investigated the photocatalytic activity of these materials for the decomposition of rhodamine B under UV-visible irradiation. The XRD and Raman results revealed the successful synthesis of well-crystallized $PbMoO_4$ crystals with the diameter of 51-59 nm, regardless of the addition of chromium ion. The DRS spectra of $PbMo_{1-x}Cr_xO_4$ catalysts showed new intensive absorption bands in the visible region. The $PbMoO_4$ catalysts showed the lowest photocatalytic activity and the activity increased with an increase of chromium substitution amounts under visible irradiation. PL peaks appeared at about 540-580 nm for all catalysts and excitonic PL signals were proportional to the photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of rhodamine B.