In this work, a new morphology was obtained for bismuth tungstate (Bi₂WO₆-glyc) using a hydrothermal method with the addition of glycerol as a surfactant. In order to compare, the bismuth tungstate without glycerol as the surfactant, i.e., Bi₂WO₆, was synthesized. Structural characterization by XRD and Rietveld refinement confirmed the orthorhombic structure as a single phase for all samples with high crystallinity. All active modes in Raman spectroscopy for the orthorhombic phase of bismuth tungstate were confirmed in agreement with XRD analysis. N₂ adsorption/desorption and size pore distribution confirmed the high surface area (85.7 m²/g) for Bi₂WO₆-glyc when compared with Bi₂WO₆ (8.5 m²/g). The optical band gap by diffuse reflectance was 2.78 eV and 2.88 eV for Bi₂WO₆-glyc and Bi₂WO₆, respectively. SEM images confirmed the different morphology for these materials, and microstructures with cheese crisp were observed for Bi₂WO₆-glyc (cheese crisp). On the other hand, flower-like microcrystals were confirmed for Bi₂WO₆ sample. The photocatalytic performance of Bi₂WO₆-glyc (94.2%) in the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye solutions at 60 min was more expressive than Bi₂WO₆ (81.3%) and photolysis (8.2%) at 90 min.

Propolis is a wax-like resin collected by bees from tree shoots and/or other botanical sources that is used as glue to seal cracks or open spaces in the hive. Its color varies from green to brown and reddish, depending on its botanical origin. Among the substances that can be found in propolis, low molecular weight compounds, such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are the most common. Several biological activities are attributed to these classes of substances, such as antifungal, antibacterial, and others. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of volatile compounds present in propolis samples and to analyze their correlation with biological activities.