Research progress, trends, and updates on pollutants removal by Bi2WO6-based photocatalysts under visible light irradiation

Abstract In recent years, bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6) has been widely researched in the photocatalytic area due to its unique crystal structure and suitable bandgap. In this study, a comprehensive summary of Bi2WO6-based photocatalyst research from 2007 to 2022 was provided using bibliometric analysis. The study was conducted based on the Web of Science Core Collection Database and a dataset of 2064 publications retrieved. The bibliometix R-package and CiteSpace software were used for bibliometric analysis and science mapping. The network of the relationships among countries, journals, organizations, authors, and keywords related to investigated topic and subtopics were analyzed and discussed. Results showed that China has been playing an important role in this research area and also has a close cooperative relationship with other countries. Highly-cited emergent words indicated that improving the photocatalytic performance of Bi2WO6-based nanomaterials is the main research topic. In addition, the synergistic effects of photocatalysis and adsorption have also become a research hotspot for improving catalytic efficiency. The results will provide a reference for researchers for gaining a deeper understanding of Bi2WO6-based photocatalysts.