Synthesis and the enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 nanocrystals coupled with Ag nanoparticles

Abstract

BiVO4 nanocrystals coupled with Ag nanoparticles (Ag–BiVO4 heterogeneous nanostructures) have been prepared by a new strategy via combining a hydrothermal route with a polyol process, in which BiVO4 nanocrystals were first synthesized by a hydrothermal route, and then, Ag nanoparticles were grown on the surfaces of the presynthesized BiVO4 nanocrystals through a polyol process. The photocatalytic evaluations demonstrate that BiVO4 nanocrystals coupled with Ag nanoparticles exhibit the enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). The energy alignment and diffuse reflectance property of Ag–BiVO4 heterogeneous nanostructures demonstrate that Ag nanoparticles attached on the surfaces of BiVO4 nanocrystals play double roles for the enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity. First, the Ag nanoparticles grown on the surfaces of BiVO4 nanocrystals may act as electron sinks to retard the recombination of the photogenerated electrons and holes in BiVO4 so as to improve the charge separation on its surfaces. Second, the Ag nanoparticles increase the visible light absorption of the Ag–BiVO4 photocatalyst due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag nanoparticles. These double roles of Ag nanoparticles make Ag–BiVO4 heterogeneous nanostructures to exhibit the enhanced photocatalytic activity to decompose MB and RhB under visible light irradiation, compared to the pure BiVO4 nanocrystals. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the charge transfer from BiVO4 to the attached Ag nanoparticles as well as SPR absorption of Ag nanoparticles. The present work not only provides an efficient route to enhance visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of BiVO4, but also offers a new strategy for fabricating metal–semiconductor heterogeneous nanostructure photocatalysts, which are expected to show considerable potential applications in solar-driven wastewater treatment and water splitting.