Highly electro-conductive graphene-decorated PANI-BiVO4 polymer-semiconductor nanocomposite with outstanding photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Polyaniline/Bismuth Vanadate/Graphene Oxide (PANI-BiVO4-GO or BGPA) composite was prepared by sonochemical deposition of bismuth vanadate-graphene oxide (BiVO4) nanoparticles on the surface of polyaniline (PANI). The 5 wt% BGPA composite had the best photocatalytic degradation performances for MB, RhB, and SO dyes, about 1.56, 1.81, and 1.68 times more, respectively, than 1% BGPA composite. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic stability of BiVO4 was significantly improved by introducing PANI into the PANI-BiVO4-GO composite. These improvements in photocatalytic degradation performance and photocatalytic stability can be attributed to the formation of a heterojunction free electron between PANI and BiVO4-GO. The existence of these extra free electrons can dramatically enhance the efficiency of photogenerated electrons, thus accelerating the transfer of photogenerated holes from BiVO4-GO to PANI and constraining the self-oxidation of BiVO4.