Abstract
Monoclinic BiVO4powders were synthesized via a novel route using potassium metavanadate (KVO3) prepared by calcination of K2CO3and V2O5as a starting material and followed by hydrothermal treatment and were investigated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The synthesized BiVO4particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) light diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry. The synthesis produced pure monoclinic BiVO4particles with multimorphological features containing flower-like, flake-ball, flake, cuboid-like, and plate-like shapes and exhibited strong absorption in the visible light range. The BiVO4prepared via KVO3possessed excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB under visible light. The performance of this catalyst was found to be superior to other BiVO4photocatalysts prepared via ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) using coprecipitation, combustion, and calcination methods reported in literature, respectively.
Highlights
BiVO4 is a promising semiconductor for use in solar photocatalysis due to its efficient visible light absorption and other favorable properties such as its nontoxicity [1, 2]
Compared to BiVO4 obtained by all other synthesis methods, the as-prepared BiVO4 synthesized via the novel route proposed exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of model organic pollutant, Rhodamine B (RhB), under visible light irradiation due to its desirable phase structure, morphologies, and surface areas
There have been no reports to date on the synthesis of monoclinic BiVO4 powders via KVO3 and the hydrothermal method; the study of this material and its enhanced performance when prepared via this route contributes to the advancement of visible light photocatalysis using novel bismuth-based structures
Summary
BiVO4 is a promising semiconductor for use in solar photocatalysis due to its efficient visible light absorption and other favorable properties such as its nontoxicity [1, 2]. A novel method for the preparation of monoclinic BiVO4 via KVO3 starting material prepared by facile calcination of K2CO3 and V2O5 was investigated. BiVO4 synthesized via this route and subsequent hydrothermal synthesis was compared to a similar hydrothermally prepared BiVO4 obtained via NH4VO3 starting material. Compared to BiVO4 obtained by all other synthesis methods, the as-prepared BiVO4 synthesized via the novel route proposed exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of model organic pollutant, Rhodamine B (RhB), under visible light irradiation due to its desirable phase structure, morphologies, and surface areas. There have been no reports to date on the synthesis of monoclinic BiVO4 powders via KVO3 and the hydrothermal method; the study of this material and its enhanced performance when prepared via this route contributes to the advancement of visible light photocatalysis using novel bismuth-based structures
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