Bismuth Vanadate Research Articles

Enhanced photoactivity towards bismuth vanadate water splitting through tantalum doping: An experimental and density functional theory study

The activation of hole trap states in bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is considered an effective strategy to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting activity. Herein, we propose a theoretical and experimental study of tantalum (Ta) doping to BiVO4 leading to the introduction of hole trap states for the enhanced PEC activity. The doping of Ta is found to alter the structural and chemical surroundings via displacement of vanadium (V) atoms that cause distortions in the lattice via the formation of hole trap states. A significant enhancement of photocurrent to ∼4.2 mA cm−2 was recorded attributing to the effective charge separation of efficiency of ∼96.7 %. Furthermore, the doping of Ta in the BiVO4 lattice offers improved charge transport in bulk and decreased charge transfer resistance at the electrolyte interface. The Ta-doped BiVO4 displays the effective production of hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) under AM 1.5 G illumination with a faradaic efficiency of 90 %. Moreover, the density functional theory (DFT) study confirms the decrease in optical band gap and the activation of hole trap states below the conduction band (CB) with a contribution of Ta towards both valence and CB that increases the charge separation and majority charge carrier density, respectively. The findings of this work propose that the displacement of V sites with Ta atoms in BiVO4 photoanodes is an efficient approach for enhanced PEC activity.

A Red Light-Inducible Copper-Photodeposited All-Solid-State Z-Scheme Photocatalyst for Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Methane Using Water as an Electron Donor

We selectively loaded various amounts of copper (Cu) as a cocatalyst for the reduction reaction onto zinc rhodium oxide (ZnRh2O4 (ZRO)) in a heterojunction photocatalyst and silver (Ag)-inserted ZRO and bismuth vanadium oxide (Bi4V2O11 (BVO)) solid-state photocatalyst (ZRO/Ag/BVO (ZAB)) to form Cu/ZAB. The amount of deposited Cu was controlled by the photodeposition time to generate Cu/ZAB with up to 0.14 wt % Cu cocatalyst vs ZAB. All the prepared Cu/ZAB samples accomplished overall water splitting under red light irradiation at a wavelength of 700 nm, enhancing the stoichiometric evolutions of hydrogen and oxygen from water compared with bare ZAB. Moreover, the apparent quantum efficiency increased up to 0.13 wt % Cu cocatalyst, which thereafter tended to decrease. The optimized Cu/ZAB photocatalyst was confirmed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane using water as an electron donor and proton source under irradiation with visible light at a wavelength of 700 nm, which is, to our knowledge, the longest wavelength reported to date for CO2 reduction.

Scalable ambient conditions-based fabrication of flower-like bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) film incorporating defects aimed at visible-light-induced water-splitting application

The scalable application of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) in photoelectrochemical water splitting is restricted by its low charge separation efficiency and slow water oxidation kinetics. Here, modified BiVO4 photoanodes were fabricated at ambient conditions with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) for improving the electron-hole generation rate and lowering the charge carrier recombination rate. Modification by PEG produced 3D flower-like BiVO4 microspheres, along with Bi5+, Bi(3−x)+, and V4+ species onto the PEG-BiVO4 surface, which were accompanied by oxygen vacancies (OVs) working in tandem with these species and acting as surface-active intermediates, thereby facilitating hole transfer to the electrolyte. Under visible light irradiation (100 mW/cm2), 3D flower-like PEG-BiVO4 microspheres produce the maximum photocurrent density of 5.75 mA/cm2 in water splitting at 1.23 V against a reverse hydrogen electrode (RHE). The superior photoelectrochemical performance of PEG-BiVO4 over its counterparts is attributed to the incorporation of 3D flower-like microspheres and band structure modulation by the O vacancies, Bi(3−x)+, Bi5+, and V4+ species. The synthesized PEG-BiVO4 is expected to attract attention as a scalable photocatalyst for oxidation of water because it is easy to synthesize at room temperature and it exhibits superb photocatalytic performance.

Electronic Structure of Orthorhombic Bi4V2O11 and Role of Gap States in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

A group of bismuth vanadium oxides shows promise as an excellent material for photoanodes in water splitting. However, the efficiency of Bi4V2O11 in water splitting is not satisfactory compared to BiVO4. In this study, we investigated the electronic structure of orthorhombic Bi4V2O11 using density functional theory (DFT) and synchrotron soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques to clarify the causes of inefficiency. Our DFT calculations of the two-fold superlattice, as confirmed by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, revealed its indirect-band-gap nature. An angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy study identified the states within the band gap, and the resonant photoemission technique and DFT simulation clarified that the origin of the gap states was anisotropic localization of electrons around V–O tetrahedra. Water absorption enhances the gap states, which dramatically impedes the kinetics of water oxidation reactions. Our results reveal the role of gap states in water oxidation reactions and offer new insights into manipulating gap states in 3d transition metal oxides.

Large-area, regular, periodically ordered, and Au-nanoparticle-decorated 1-D BiVO4/WO3 nanorods as photoanodes with enhanced Photoelectrochemical performance

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising and sustainable route for the environmentally friendly production of hydrogen. Although the heterojunction of tungsten trioxide (WO3) and bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has been recognized as a promising photoanode material, it still faces challenges, including inadequate photocurrent density and limited nanostructure fabrication areas. In this study, we present an innovative approach for fabricating periodically-ordered 1D WO3 nanorods using nanoimprint lithography and hydrothermal synthesis, followed by BiVO4 deposition. The resulting periodically-ordered 1D BiVO4/WO3 nanorods distinctly outperform randomly grown nanorods and planar films in both small-scale (2 × 2.5 cm2) and large-scale (6 × 6 cm2) photoanodes, attributed to improved light absorption and facilitated charge transfer. To further enhance PEC performance, the 1D BiVO4/WO3 nanorods were decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), leading to an additional performance boost due to the plasmonic effect.

A review on the design of nanostructure-based materials for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation from wastewater: Bibliometric analysis, mechanisms, prospective, and challenges

Years of study have shown that creating a commercial photoelectrode to solve particular bottlenecks, such as low charge separation and injection efficiency, short carrier diffusion length and lifespan, and poor stability, requires the employment of a variety of components. Developing photovoltaic-electrolysis, photocatalytic, and photoelectrochemical approaches to accelerate hydrogen production from solar energy has been highly competitive. Photoelectrochemical water splitting utilizing nanoporous materials is one of the promising approaches to produce hydrogen more efficiently, cost-effectively, and on a long-term basis. Nanoporous materials have been highly used in photoelectrochemical water-splitting systems and are crucial in numerous applications. Those materials have a porous structure and excellent conductivity, enabling the deposition of transition metal atoms and electrochemically active chemicals on a large active surface area. However, there remains a dearth of review articles exploring the application of nanoporous materials in photoelectrochemical reactions. Therefore, this review provides bibliometric statistics and various perspectives on a range of nanoporous materials, including indium, nickel, gold, copper, lead, silver, aluminum, silicon, tin, iron, zinc, titanium, bismuth vanadate, cadmium sulfide, and zeolites. Additionally, this review offers a comprehensive assessment of worldwide studies on utilizing nanoporous materials in photoelectrochemical cells. We show how morphological modifications to materials may improve charge transfer and, as a consequence, overall power conversion efficiency.ke The superior catalytic performance of nanostructures with varying levels of complexity has been discovered in photoelectrochemical reactions. Finally, significant issues and future research directions in the domains are discussed.

Strain‐Induced Distortions Modulate the Optoelectronic Properties of Epitaxial BiVO4 Films

AbstractTransition metal oxide (TMO) photoabsorbers are expected to play an important role in the development of renewable solar‐to‐fuel devices. Modest efficiencies have been demonstrated with devices based on TMO photoabsorbers, and further progress will likely rely on material property control beyond conventional bulk chemistry or nanostructuring strategies. To this end, model TMO photoabsorbers such as single crystalline monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) are beneficial to advance the understanding of structure‐functionality relationships with minimal convoluted effects inherent in polycrystalline systems. Here, the authors reveal for the first time the effects of strain modulation strategies on the optoelectronic properties of epitaxial BiVO4 films synthesized by alternate‐target layer‐by‐layer pulsed laser deposition. Through a combination of high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction methods and optical and photoluminescence spectroscopies, the correlation between anisotropic, uniaxial strain‐driven bandgap widening and deviatoric strains associated with volume‐preserving lattice distortions is established. Broad polaronic photoluminescence signals are detected in epitaxial BiVO4, and its redshift is attributed to the structural distortion in BiO8 dodecahedra. Overall, the relationship between the structural and optoelectronic properties revealed in this study suggests that strain modulation and engineering of local distortion in complex transition metal oxides may be exploited as a viable strategy for the development of efficient photoabsorbers.

Nanosized sheelite- and zircon-type BiVO4: Active sites and improved sensitivity to H2S and acetone in comparison to V2O5

Bismuth-related mixed-metal oxides are of interest as gas sensitive materials with improved selectivity. Bismuth vanadate is an n-type semiconductor widely explored as a photocatalyst. Less is known on gas sensing behavior, active sites, and sensing mechanism of different polymorphs of BiVO4. In this work, we synthesized nanocrystalline monoclinic sheelite ms-BiVO4 and tetragonal zircon tz-BiVO4 polymorphs and comparatively studied the surface acidity, oxidation reactivity, electric conduction, and gas sensing performance, using V2O5 as a reference. It was found that tz-BiVO4 and V2O5 had close concentrations of acid sites, while a lower surface acidity was observed for ms-BiVO4. Higher oxidative reactivity of BiVO4 than that of V2O5 was revealed by temperature programmed reduction. The improved sensitivity and selectivity of BiVO4 sensors to H2S and acetone were observed depending on temperature. Sensors responses were 21.5–1 ppm H2S at 100 °C, and 7.4–20 ppm acetone at 300 °C. By in situ diffuse reflectance infrared (DRIFT) spectroscopy, it was shown that the sensing mechanism of BiVO4 relies on oxidation of target gases by vanadate ions. Distinct effects of humidity on the sensitivity of ms-BiVO4 and tz-BiVO4 to H2S and acetone were rationalized by different surface acidity of the polymorphs.

Boosting the photoelectrochemical performance of bismuth vanadate photoanode through homojunction construction

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) suffers from sluggish charge mobility and substantial charge recombination losses due to its intrinsic defect. To rectify the problem, we developed a novel approach to prepare an n-n+ type II BVOac-BVOal homojunction with staggered band alignment. This architecture involves a built-in electric field that facilitating the electron-hole separation at the BVOac/BVOal interface. As a result, the BVOac-BVOal homojunction shows superior photocurrent density up to 3.6 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) with 0.1 M sodium sulfite as the hole scavenger, which is 3 times higher than that of the single-layer BiVO4 photoanode. Unlike the previous efforts that modifying the PEC performance of BiVO4 photoanodes through incorporating heteroatoms, the highly-efficient BVOac-BVOal homojunction was achieved without incorporating any heteroatoms in this work. The remarkable PEC activity of the BVOac-BVOal homojunction highlights the tremendous importance of reducing the charge recombination rate at the interface by constructing the homojunction and offers an effective strategy to form the heteroatoms-free BiVO4 thin film as an efficient photoanode material for practical PEC applications.

High NIR Reflectance and Photocatalytic Ceramic Pigments Based on M-Doped Clinobisvanite BiVO4 (M = Ca, Cr) from Gels.

Clinobisvanite (monoclinic scheelite BiVO4, S.G.I2/b) has garnered interest as a wide-band semiconductor with photocatalyst activity, as a high NIR reflectance material for camouflage and cool pigments and as a photoanode for PEC application from seawater. BiVO4 exists in four polymorphs: orthorhombic, zircon-tetragonal, monoclinic, and scheelite-tetragonal structures. In these crystal structures, V is coordinated by four O atoms in tetrahedral coordination and each Bi is coordinated to eight O atoms from eight different VO4 tetrahedral units. The synthesis and characterization of doped bismuth vanadate with Ca and Cr are studied using gel methods (coprecipitated and citrate metal-organic gels), which are compared with the ceramic route by means of the UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy of diffuse reflectance studies, band gap measurement, photocatalytic activity on Orange II and its relation with the chemical crystallography analyzed by the XRD, SEM-EDX and TEM-SAD techniques. The preparation of bismuth vanadate-based materials doped with calcium or chromium with various functionalities is addressed (a) as pigments for paints and for glazes in the chrome samples, with a color gradation from turquoise to black, depending on whether the synthesis is by the conventional ceramic route or by means of citrate gels, respectively; (b) with high NIR reflectance values that make them suitable as fresh pigments, to refresh the walls or roofs of buildings colored with them; and (c) with photocatalytic activity.

Enhanced piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of bismuth vanadate by the synergistic effect of facet engineering and cocatalyst engineering

Developing piezocatalysts with excellent piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance is highly desired but also challenging. Here, facet engineering and cocatalyst engineering are employed to synergistically improve the piezocatalytic HER efficiency of BiVO4 (BVO). Monoclinic BVO catalysts with distinct exposed facets are synthesized by adjusting pH of hydrothermal reaction. The BVO with highly exposed {110} facet exhibits a superior piezocatalytic HER performance (617.9 μmol g-1h−1) compared with that with {010} facet, owing to the strong piezoelectric property, high charge transfer efficiency, and excellent hydrogen adsorption/desorption capacity. The HER efficiency is enhanced by 44.7% by selectively depositing cocatalyst of Ag nanoparticles specifically on the reductive {010} facet of BVO, where the Ag-BVO interface provides the directional electron transport for high-efficiency charge separation. Under the collaboration between cocatalyst of CoOx on {110} facet and the hole sacrificial agent of methanol, the piezocatalytic HER efficiency is evidently enhanced by 2 times because CoOx and methanol can impede the water oxidation and improve the charge separation. This easy and simple strategy provides an alternative perspective on designing high-performance piezocatalysts.

Charge separation via synergy of homojunction and electrocatalyst in BiVO4 for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) as oxygen evolution photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is hampered by the severe charge recombination and sluggish kinetic reaction. Herein, we successively construct a novel homogenous BVO/BiVO4 photoanodes consisting of BiVO4 nanodots (BVO) with exposed (011) crystal facet on BiVO4 substrate that did not only creates tunable (011)/(110) crystal planes upon homogeneous interfacial contact but also demonstrates an unprecedented photocurrent density with outstanding performance. Theoretical calculations clearly reveal that the tunable (011)/(110) crystal facet facilitates the charge separation efficiency and water splitting kinetics. Furthermore, the photocurrent density of the homogenous BVO/BiVO4 is further enhanced by additional photo-deposition of NiFeOx electrocatalyst layer (denoted NiFeOx/BVO/BiVO4). Consequently, the optimized NiFeOx/BVO/BiVO4 photoanodes not only reaches an unprecedented photocurrent density of 6.40 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under simulated AM 1.5G illumination, but also generates an outstanding durability. This work endows a new environmentally friendly and effective path for improving PEC water splitting of BiVO4 photoanodes.

Z-Schematic Artificial Leaf Structure for Biosolar Oxyfunctionalization of Hydrocarbons

The natural Z-schematic photosynthesis is a promising catalytic model for solar-to-chemical conversion. Here, we construct a Z-schematic, wireless photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) system (i.e., artificial leaf) for biocatalytic oxyfunctionalization of hydrocarbons. The monolithic leaf structure consists of a tandem photoanode|photocathode configuration that uses sunlight as the sole energy source to drive redox reactions. Under solar light, the ferric oxyhydroxide-coated, molybdenum-doped bismuth vanadate (FeOOH|Mo:BVO) photoanode extracts electrons from H2O electron feedstock and transfers the electrons to the conjugated polyterthiophene (pTTh) photocathode. Meanwhile, the pTTh photocathode absorbs FeOOH|Mo:BVO-filtered light for O2 reduction to H2O2. The in situ generated H2O2 activates unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) to drive enantioselective C–H oxyfunctionalization (e.g., hydroxylation and epoxidation). Furthermore, we solve HO•-mediated inactivation of UPOs using a cellulose membrane, which increases enzymatic productivity with a benchmark total turnover number of 193 000 among PEC and photocatalytic platforms that trigger UPO-mediated synthesis.

Dual modification of BiVO4 photoanode for synergistically boosting photoelectrochemical water splitting

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a promising nanomaterial for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. However, the serious charge recombination and sluggish water oxidation kinetics limit its performance. Herein, an integrated photoanode was successfully constructed by modifying BiVO4 (BV) with In2O3 (In) layer and further decorating amorphous FeNi hydroxides (FeNi). The BV/In/FeNi photoanode exhibited a remarkable photocurrent density of 4.0 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE, which is approximately 3.6 times larger than that of pure BV. And the water oxidation reaction kinetics has an over 200% increased. This improvement was mainly because the formation of BV/In heterojunction inhibited charge recombination, and the decoration of cocatalyst FeNi facilitated the water oxidation reaction kinetics and accelerated hole transfer to electrolyte. Our work provides another possible route to develop high-efficiency photoanodes for practical applications in solar conversion.

Modifying MOF-derived hollow BiVO4 architecture with copper tetraphenylphorphyrin as high-efficiency wide-visible-light Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst for 2-chlorophenol degradation

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a promising photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants, which is, however, limited by low surface area, poor charge separation, and sluggish oxygen activation. In this study, hollow BiVO4 (HBVO) architecture with oxygen vacancies was obtained from the bismuth-organic-framework CAU-17 via the Kirkendall effect. The optimized HBVO had porous walls of about 150 nm, a length of 5 µm, a diameter of 2 µm, and a surface area increased by a factor of four compared to BiVO4 nanoparticles (BVO-NP). HBVO exhibited good activity for the degradation of 2-chlorophenol via a hole-dominated direct dechlorination pathway. The photoactivity could be further improved by attaching an appropriate amount of copper tetraphenyl porphyrin (CuTPP) through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions to HBVO. The amount-optimized 1.5CuTPP/HBVO demonstrated an activity that was higher by a factor of 4.5 and 2.3 than those of BVO-NP and HBVO, respectively. The improved visible-light activities are attributed to the enhanced charge separation via the constructed Z-scheme CuTPP/HBVO heterojunction, and the increased wide-visible-light response and promoted oxygen activation via the Cu-N4 sites due to the coupled CuTPP.

Effect of polymer additives on photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of BiVO4 prepared from aqueous metal-chelate solution

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a promising semiconductor for O2 production as a photocatalyst/photoanode due to its suitable band gap (2.4 eV) for absorption of the solar spectrum. Nevertheless, it is challenging to develop an applicable preparation process for size and crystallinity-controllable BiVO4 photocatalysts/photoanodes. Here, we report an innovative method of introducing an aqueous metal-chelate solution containing Bi3+ and V5+, appropriate chelators, and a water-soluble polymer to obtain nanoparticulate BiVO4 photocatalysts/photoanodes with efficient photo-oxidation performances under visible-light irradiation. The structural characteristics and photocatalytic performances of the particles/photoelectrodes obtained were changed by the kind of polymer, even prepared under the same process.

Promoting the BiVO4 Photoanode Solar Water Oxidation Performance by Coating Hole-Blocking and Oxygen Evolution Layers

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4)-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting is a propitious technique for green fuel production, while the high surface charge carrier recombination and sluggish oxygen production kinetics limits its practical applications. Herein, we discuss the favorable impacts of grafting a hole-blocking SnO2 layer as an inner layer onto the fluorine-doped tin oxide and an oxygen evolution N-FeCoOx layer on BiVO4 photoanodes. Interestingly, the optimized SnO2@BiVO4/N-FeCoOx photoanode demonstrates an exceptional photocurrent density of 4.6 mA cm–2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode under AM 1.5 G illumination, accompanied by the long-term stability up to 10 h. More specifically, the synergistic effect of both hole-blocking as well as oxygen evolution layers promotes the interfacial charge separation, transport, and PEC stability. Altogether, this work offers a simple and effective approach for constructing highly efficient photoanodes for PEC water splitting.

Construction of an La-BiVO4/O-Doped g-C3N4 Heterojunction Photocatalyst Embedded in Electrospinning Nanofibers

BiVO4 has been widely used in the field of photocatalysis due to its nontoxic and moderate band gap. However, single BiVO4 has the disadvantages of a high recombination rate of photogenerated carriers and weak response to visible light, inhibiting its photocatalytic applications. To explore viable solutions, a hybrid material composed of lanthanum-doped bismuth vanadate (La-BiVO4) and oxygen-doped porous graphite carbon nitride (O-doped g-C3N4), i.e., La-BiVO4/O-doped g-C3N4 powder, was prepared by a facile hydrothermal reaction and low-temperature calcination. Then, the powder was loaded on polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (NFs) through the electrospinning fiber technique. Various surface science characterizations, including transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen absorption and desorption analysis, confirmed the successful synthesis of a mesoporous heterojunction material. The La3+-doping as well as the porous morphologies and larger specific surface area of the O-doped g-C3N4 ultimately improve the photocatalytic abilities via a proposed Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism. The roles of La3+-doping and morphology modification in promoting the separation of the photogenerated carriers and broadening the optical absorption range were experimentally discussed. The RhB degradation experiment indicated that the La-BiVO4/O-doped g-C3N4 powder has excellent photocatalytic activity, which is about 2.85 and 2 times higher than that of the pure BiVO4 and O-doped g-C3N4, respectively. Meanwhile, the La-BiVO4/O-doped g-C3N4 NF shows good stability and recoverability after a 10-cycle testing. Such a hybrid photocatalyst with a proposed Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism and good plasticity might pave a feasible way to fabricate a new library of photocatalysts.

BiVO4 As a Sustainable and Emerging Photocatalyst: Synthesis Methodologies, Engineering Properties, and Its Volatile Organic Compounds Degradation Efficiency.

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is one of the best bismuth-based semiconducting materials because of its narrow band gap energy, good visible light absorption, unique physical and chemical characteristics, and non-toxic nature. In addition, BiVO4 with different morphologies has been synthesized and exhibited excellent visible light photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of various organic pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nevertheless, the commercial scale utilization of BiVO4 is significantly limited because of the poor separation (faster recombination rate) and transport ability of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. So, engineering/modifications of BiVO4 materials are performed to enhance their structural, electronic, and morphological properties. Thus, this review article aims to provide a critical overview of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), various semiconducting nanomaterials, BiVO4 synthesis methodologies, engineering of BiVO4 properties through making binary and ternary nanocomposites, and coupling with metals/non-metals and metal nanoparticles and the development of Z-scheme type nanocomposites, etc., and their visible light photocatalytic efficiency in VOCs degradation. In addition, future challenges and the way forward for improving the commercial-scale application of BiVO4-based semiconducting nanomaterials are also discussed. Thus, we hope that this review is a valuable resource for designing BiVO4-based nanocomposites with superior visible-light-driven photocatalytic efficiency in VOCs degradation.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of BiVO4 nanomaterials for degradation of industrial waste

Bismuth Vanadate (BiVO4) has been synthesized using simple hydrothermal technique while varying the pH of concentrated H2SO4. With the increase of pH values (from 06 to 10), the morphology of the synthesized material tuned in the form of nano-spheres and cubes in the range from 50 to 60 nm. The lateral affect tuned the bandgap of BiVO4 from 2.47 eV to 2.50 eV which is significant in the context of present study. It is worth mentioning that desirous bandgap corresponds to the visible spectrum of the solar light being abundantly available and finds many applications in real life. The synthesized nanomaterial BiVO4 has been characterized through UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The synthesized BiVO4 has been tested as photocatalyst for degradation of industrial pollutant from Leather Field Industry. Said catalyst (BiVO4) successfully degraded the industrial pollutant after 3 h under solar light irradiation. Therefore, the BiVO4 can be regarded as potential photocatalyst for degradation of industrial waste which is highly needed.