Abstract
Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O samples with high visible-light photocatalytic water oxidation activity were hydrothermally fabricated at different pH conditions. The crystalline phase, morphology and local crystal structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transition electron microscopy (TEM), corresponding selected area diffraction (SAED) and Raman techniques. According to the SEM results, all the samples exhibited aggregates of irregular nanoplates with the average diameter of 100–200nm and thickness of ∼20nm. Furthermore, some factors, such as pH conditions, influencing the morphologies and local crystal structure of the Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O nanoplates have been systematically investigated. The photocatalytic activities of the Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O were evaluated by photocatalytic water oxidation under visible light irradiation. It was found that Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O prepared at low pH exhibited high photocatalytic water oxidation activity, indicating that different morphologies and the different extent of local crystal structure distortion can effectively influence the water oxidation activity of Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O. Moreover, the relationship between the exposed facets of Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O and the H2O molecule adsorption was investigated by density functional theory (DFT). The results of our study indicated that the extent of connection between polyhedrons on exposed facet of the Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O can significantly affect the sample's H2O molecule adsorption activity.
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