One-step hydrothermal synthesis of BiVO4–Bi2O3 p–n heterojunction composites and their enhanced photocatalysis properties

Abstract

BiVO4–Bi2O3p–n heterojunction composites have been prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction revealed the as-obtained composites are composed of BiVO4 and Bi2O3 both with monoclinic structures. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity of composites was evaluated by degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4–Bi2O3 composites (BV-1.3) was approximately 3 times higher than that of pure BiVO4. The enhanced photocatalytic property may mainly due to the high separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs caused by the p–n heterojunction.