BiVO4 Materials Research Articles

Revealing Asymmetric Phase Transformation of the BiVO4 Anodes for Potassium-Ion Batteries by In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), thanks to the cost-effectiveness of potassium resources and a favorable redox potential of approximately -2.936 V. The monoclinic BiVO4, known for its layered structure, shows noteworthy electrochemical properties when utilized as an anode material for both LIBs and sodium-ion batteries. However, the fundamental electrochemical reaction mechanisms of the BiVO4 anode during the potassium insertion/extraction processes remain unclear. Here, we constructed a BiVO4 anode PIB inside the transmission electron microscope (TEM) to explore the real-time potassiation/depotassiation behaviors of BiVO4 during electrochemical cycling. Utilizing the state-of-art in situ TEM technique, the BiVO4 nanorods are found to undergo an asymmetric phase transformation for the first time, where the pristine BiVO4 material is transformed into an amorphous KxBiVO4 phase after the first cycle. More interestingly, the anode materials near and far from the potassium source exhibit opposite volume-changing trends under the same voltage potential. Also, this phenomenon should be attributed to the mass flow of the unstable K-Bi alloy under the electric field. Our findings provide significant insights into the electrochemical mechanism of BiVO4 nanorods during the potassiation/depotassiation process, with the hope of assistance in designing anodes for high-performance PIBs.

Controlling Oxygen Vacancy Content by Varying Calcination Temperature to Enhance the Gas Sensing Performance of BiVO4 Material

Compared to gas sensors based on single metal oxide, gas sensors based on binary metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) offer a rich variety of structural types and hold great potential for excellent selectivity. Inspired by this, we synthesized BiVO4 powder through a stepwise reaction combining calcination with hydrothermal bath and investigated the influence of different calcination temperatures on its gas sensitivity performance. Our study revealed that BiVO4-600 exhibited optimal TEA gas sensing behavior at 225 °C, showing high response values (Ra/Rg = 43.4) and fast response/recovery times (15 s/52 s). Additionally, the sensor displayed high stability, repeatability, and exceptional selectivity. Preliminary research indicates that calcination temperature induces changes in the oxygen vacancy content of BiVO4, thus affecting its sensing performance.

Fabrication of ternary Bi2S3/BiVO4/g-C3N4 composite material for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

Antibiotic contaminants are known to pose a serious threat to the human health and environment, thus a great deal of effort has been made to develop destruction technologies for antibiotic treatment in the water environment. Photocatalytic oxidation technology is regarded as one of the most promising strategies for decomposing antibiotics from water. In this work, ternary Bi2S3/BiVO4/g-C3N4 composite material is dexterously designed and synthesized to obtain the enhanced photocatalytic performance for tetracycline (TC) degradation via a facile strategy. Therein, the optimal Bi2S3/BiVO4/g-C3N4 material showed the excellent degradation efficiency under visible light irradiation in comparison to the nude g-C3N4 and BiVO4/g-C3N4 photocatalysts, and it can continuously degrade the TC pollutant in 90 min and achieve a degradation percentage of 80.7 %. The designed materials can not only intensify photo-absorption efficiency of g-C3N4 material, but also improve its separation and transfer efficiency of photo-generated charge carriers, which is attributed to the incorporation of BiVO4 and Bi2S3 materials. The active species trapping experiments verified that the superoxide radicals (•O2−) is the main active species, and holes (h+) also played an important role in the Bi2S3/BiVO4/g-C3N4 system. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical measurement (PEC) clearly demonstrated that the incorporation of BiVO4 and Bi2S3 materials could accelerate the separation and transfer of photo-generated electron and hole pairs. As expected, our present work could spark new inspirations to further develop the efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.

Photoelectrochemical performance of a ternary WO3/BiVO4/NiCo LDH photoanode for high-efficiency water oxidation

Recently, tungsten oxide (WO3) and bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) have been considered as an intriguing combination for constructing a heterojunction for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. Herein, we report the preparation of ternary WO3/BiVO4/NiCo layered double hydroxide (LDH) photoanodes for boosting photogenerated carrier transport and promotion of catalytic activity. WO3/BiVO4 heterostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal process of WO3 nanoplates on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate, followed by spin-coating for BiVO4 materials. We investigated the effect of a NiCo LDH catalyst on PEC performance by controlling the growth temperatures of the NiCo LDH via hydrothermal synthesis. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‒transform infrared (FTIR) and X‒ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that the WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction was retained after the NiCo LDH growth process regardless of synthesis temperatures. The PEC results verified that the WO3/BiVO4 heterostructure with the optimized NiCo LDH catalyst (WBN60) possessed the best photocurrent density of 3.2 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which created improved charge separation and surface oxidation kinetics of photogenerated carriers. Consequentially, the smallest charge transfer resistance and recombination rate were achieved in the WBN60 electrode compared to others, indicating a much lower photoelectrode‒electrolyte interfacial resistance and the enhancement of photogenerated carrier transport by suppressing recombination.

Facile fabrication of visible-light-responsive BiVO4 oxygen evolution photocatalysts with tunable band gap structure

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has attracted much attention in photocatalytic oxygen evolution due to its chemical stability and environmental friendliness. However, its photocatalytic activity is limited by lower visible light responsiveness and oxidative capacity, which is related to the energy band structure. Here, we solve this problem by successfully preparing monoclinic BiVO4 nanomaterials with different band gap structures. The primary step of this innovative approach involves solely adjusting the pH using NH3‧H2O in the hydrothermal method. Although the reaction process is simple, it’s very effective in regulating the energy band structure, leading to an extension of the light response range and an enhancement of oxidizing capacity in the photocatalytic oxygen evolution process. As the results, the optimal oxygen evolution rate under visible light could reach 757.62 μmol h−1 g−1 with FeCl3 as the sacrificial agent. Finally, the mechanism of photocatalytic oxygen evolution based on the pH regulation effect on the energy band structure was investigated. This study holds significant importance for enhancing the efficiency of BiVO4 materials in practical applications.

Unlocking the unique catalysts of CoTiO3/BiVO4@MIL-Fe(53) for improving Cr(VI) reduction and tetracycline degradation

Environmental contamination by hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and antibiotic drug residues pose significant challenges to public health and ecosystems. This study investigates the application of CoTiO3/BiVO4@MIL-Fe(53) (CT/BV@Fe-MOF) for the reduction of Cr(VI) and degradation of tetracycline (TCL) under visible light. After grafting an iron-based metal–organic framework MIL-Fe(53) on a modified CoTiO3/BiVO4 composite, the photogenerated electrons could easily be transferred from CoTiO3 to BiVO4/Fe-MOF species via interfacial charge transfer. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed that charge carriers were formed in response to visible light absorption. The effect of different operating parameters, including catalyst load, pH, initial Cr(VI), and TCL concentration, was systematically evaluated during the photocatalytic process. The CT/BV@Fe-MOF composite exhibited 98.7% reduction efficiency in Cr(VI) (50 ppm) and 97.5% degradation efficiency towards TCL (30 ppm) within 90 min, resulting in a greater efficiency than the pristine CoTiO3, BiVO4, and Fe-MOF materials. The CT/BV@Fe-MOF composite displayed excellent stability over six cycles, highlighting its potential for practical applications. In addition, the plausible degradation pathway of TCL was evaluated using LC-ESI/MS analysis, while the TEST program was utilized to investigate the toxicity of the products generated during the degradation process.

Construction of PVDF-HKUST-1/BiVO4 hybrid electrospun flexible fiber membrane for enhanced piezo-photocatalytic reduction performance of Cr(VI)

For the practical implementation of Cr(Ⅵ) removal, effective and recyclable water treatment technology is essential. Polarized electric fields inside piezoelectric materials have proved to be a promising technique for facilitating photogenerated charge separation. In this work, Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst HKUST-1/BiVO4 and organic piezoelectric material PVDF were combined through electrospinning to create a novel flexible fiber PVDF-HKUST-1/BiVO4 (PVDF-HV) piezo-photocatalyst membrane. When the amount of HKUST-1/BiVO4 powder was 2.4% and the diameter of the obtained fiber film was 10 cm, the optimal reduction efficiency can be achieved by the piezoelectric photocatalytic reduction in solution with initial pH=2, and the piezo-photocatalytic efficiency of PVDF-HV reached up to 85.33% within 120 min, which was about 1.35 times and 2.19 times greater than that of single photocatalysis and piezoelectric catalysis, respectively. It successfully promoted photo charge separation based on the piezoelectric field in PVDF and the heterojunction produced between HKUST-1 and BiVO4. This research developed an efficient strategy for multi-path collection and exploitation of natural solar energy and vibration energy to boost photoactivity.

SYNTHESIS OF NICKEL-DOPED BIVO4 MATERIALS BY HYDROTHERMAL METHOD AND EVALUATE THE PHOTOCATALYTIC ABILITY TO DECOMPOSE METHYLENE BLUE UNDER VISIBLE LIGHT

Ni-doped BiVO4 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The catalytic samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Based on the results of PL spectrum analysis, the electron-hole recombination phenomenon is limited by the presence of the second metal Ni in the structure at Bi3+ positions. The catalyst materials at the Ni doping ratios all have the monoclinic-scheelite BiVO4 structure as shown by the XRD and Raman methods. The photocatalytic ability of methyl blue (MB) on the Ni/BiVO4 catalyst was studied under visible light irradiation in order to contribute to reducing the current environmental pollution problem. The removal efficiency of MB varies with the doping ratio of Ni/BiVO4, reaching the highest decomposition efficiency of 84.77% in the 5% mol Ni sample, which is 30% higher than that of the BiVO4 sample. The BiVO4 material modified with Ni gives a high photocatalytic efficiency of organic pigment decomposition under visible light indicates the potential improvement in the efficiency of a material for existing applications and exploit many new applications in the future.

Review on the Solar-Driven Photocathodic Protection of Metals in the Marine Environment

Photocathodic protection (PCP) technology has gained wide attention in the field of corrosion due to its green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable characteristics, and has become a protection technology with broad development prospects in the future marine environment. By investigating recent research results, the mainstream photoanode materials are TiO2, BiVO4, g-C3N4, ZnO, In2O3, SrTiO3 and other materials. Among them, TiO2 is an ideal photoanode material for PCP because of its efficient photochemical corrosion resistance, remarkable reaction stability, and excellent photoelectric properties. However, TiO2 itself has more drawbacks, such as limited utilization of visible light and low photogenerated electron-hole separation efficiency. These defects limit the wide application of TiO2 in PCP. Through modification methods, the reaction efficiency can be substantially improved and the availability of TiO2 can be increased. This paper lists the research progress of modifying TiO2 materials using metal and non-metal doping modification, semiconductor compounding technology, and energy storage materials for application in PCP, and introduces several new types of photoanode materials. This paper suggests new ideas for the design of more efficient photoanodes.

Ag-loaded BiVO4 with good sensing properties for isopropanol gas

Monoclinic BiVO4 material was successfully synthesized through a hydrothermal method, and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were deposited onto the surface of BiVO4 using the photo deposition technique. The gas-sensing outcomes demonstrate that the BiVO4 material loaded with 2 wt% Ag has a good gas-sensing response to isopropanol, which is about three times that of pure BiVO4. In addition, it exhibits a fast response within 10 s and well-stability. The improved gas sensing properties primarily come from the catalytic and spillover effect mechanism of Ag.

STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL, AND VISIBLE-LIGHT DRIVEN PHOTACATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF Yb-DOPED BiVO4 NANOPARTICLES PREPARED VIA RAPID SONOCHEMICAL PROCESS

This work represents the synthesis and structural, morphological, and optical characterization of rare-earth Yb-doped BiVO4 materials with different Ytterbium (Yb3+) contents (0% - 5%). Yb-doped BiVO4 specimens in form of fine nanoparticles were synthesized by a rapid and facile sonochemical process. The structural and morphological characterizations were observed by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Important optical properties of the prepared samples were investigated by the diffuse reflectance technique and the corresponding optical band gaps were calculated by the mean of the Kullbelka-Munk equation. From the characterized results, it is acknowledged that incorporated Yb dopant has a significant effect on the crystalline structure of BiVO4 by reducing in monoclinic phase in the pristine sample while the increasing Yb doping composition resulted in the mixed phases of monoclinic and tetragonal phases since Yb3+ ions could probably induce the stabilization of the tetragonal phase in BiVO4 material. Moreover, extensive doping with Yb3+ exhibits considerable influence on not only structural but also optical and relevant visible - driven photocatalytic properties of BiVO4 by means of the color degradation of RhB dye solution.

Defect-designed Mo-doped BiVO4 photoanode for efficient photoelectrochemical degradation of phenol

The monoclinic scheelite BiVO4 has impressive properties such as a narrow energy band gap, exceptional stability, and extended absorption in visible light, making it a suitable photoanode. Nevertheless, the BiVO4 material encounters challenges such as the high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and poor photoelectron conductivity, which limits photocatalytic activity. To address this problem, we developed Mo-doped BiVO4 films on FTO substrates for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of phenol. When exposed to visible light, the Mo-BiVO4 film attained a 70% degradation of phenol in 120 min with a 1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl bias—a 3.7 times improvement from pristine BiVO4. Mo-doping facilitates better migration and separation of electron-hole pairs and increases the concentration of photogenerated carriers, leading to an upward shift of the valence band potential direction, and an improvement in oxidation capacity. Furthermore, density-functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to explain how Mo-doping with BiVO4 improves the adsorption energy to phenol degradation intermediates, emphasizing its effectiveness in promoting phenol degradation. Therefore, with the inclusion of DFT calculations, this work provides a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism underlying the enhancement of photocatalytic activity by Mo-doped BiVO4, which is crucial information for the further development of effective and efficient photoanodes.

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.

Preparation and photocatalytic degradation of Sulfamethoxazole by g-C3N4 nano composite samples

Abstract Graphite-carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was prepared by thermocondensation, and g-C3N4/BiVO4 material (GCB) and g-C3N4/CNTs composite material (GCC) were prepared by doping different contents of BiVO4 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with g-C3N4 samples, respectively. Then, BiVO4, CNTs, and g-C3N4 samples with different contents were doped to prepare ternary composite material (GCBC). In the performance experiment, Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) was used as degradation material to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples, and the degradation reaction kinetics equation, quadric cycle stability experiment, free radical capture, and intermediates identification were studied. The intermediates of photocatalytic degradation of SMZ were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. From the experimental data, it can be seen that for SMZ solution, when the reaction time T = 0 min and retention time rt = 7.53 min, there is a peak corresponding to the substance with m/z [M + H]+ of 254, which is judged as SMZ. At 20, 40, and 60 min, rt was 2.00, 7.06, and 9.57 min, indicating the presence of intermediates in the photocatalytic process. Experimental analysis shows that there are three intermediates of SMZ degradation by composite sample GCBC. In this work, three kinds of composite materials were successfully prepared, and a variety of characterization, SMZ as pollutants, test the photocatalytic performance of composite materials (GCB, GCC, and GCBC) samples, and elucidated the cyclic stability of the material, active species capture, and photocatalytic degradation mechanism.

Enhanced charge carrier density of a p-n BiOCl/BiVO4 heterostructure by Ni doping for photoelectrochemical applications

Pure and doped p-n BiOCl/BiVO4 heterostructures with various Ni contents were studied for photoanode applications in photoelectrochemical cells. All materials were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. The properties of the pure and doped materials were characterized by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UVvisible spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Furthermore, density function theory calculations were employed to investigate the underlying physical mechanism of the Ni substitution. The materials were applied as the photoanode at an applied bias voltage of +1.9 V (vs. RHE) and irradiated over 4200 s under the solar light simulator. The pure p-n BiOCl/BiVO4 heterostructure showed the highest photocurrent of 1 mA/cm2. After 1% Ni doping, the photocurrent density was enhanced, and the highest photocurrent density was approximately 1.7 mA/cm2. From the theoretical calculation aspect, the role of Ni substitution into the parent p-n BiVO4 and BiOCl materials resulted in a surface state under the conduction band of both parent materials. The result was in agreement with the Mott-Schottky analysis, which showed that the charge carrier density increased as Ni atoms were added to the p-n BiOCl/BiVO4 heterostructure. Therefore, the additional state and the increase in the charge carrier density led to the improved photocatalytic activity of the Ni-doped p-n BiOCl/BiVO4 heterostructure.

Exposed (040) facets of BiVO4 modified with Pr3+ and Eu3+: Photoluminescence emission and enhanced photocatalytic performance

BiVO4 materials are promising candidates for photocatalytic applications due to their optical and electronic properties, and among several methodologies, the doping of these materials has shown good results for applications. In this work, we prepared samples of BiVO4 in tetragonal zirconia and monoclinic scheelite phase doped with Europium and Praseodymium through the co-precipitation method followed by microwave-assisted hydrothermal processing. It was observed that doping favored the orientation of the material along the 040 planes, which presents a better photocatalytic response, in addition to doping modifying the morphology and size of the materials. According to photoluminescence analysis, doping favored charge transfer, which is an essential factor for the photocatalytic properties of the material. The photocatalytic performance was tested with pollutants such as dyes (methylene blue and rhodamine B) and a hormone (17a-ethinylestradiol), showing that doping potentiated the degradation of these pollutants, and the material doping with Pr3+ presented the best result for all the contaminants tested, indicating that it is possible to use these materials for this application.

Near-infrared-emitting upconverting BiVO4 nanoprobes for in vivo fluorescent imaging

Near-infrared (NIR) emitting BiVO4:Yb3+,Tm3+ nanoparticles are synthesized by a new solvothermal strategy using solvents of oleic acid and methanol. The obtained BiVO4:Yb3+,Tm3+ samples show an average particle size of ≈164 nm and exhibit an asymmetry monoclinic crystal structure of BiVO4. At NIR excitation of 980 nm, the BiVO4:Yb3+,Tm3+ sample exhibits a nearly single NIR emission at ≈796 nm with extremely weak blue emissions from Tm3+ ions. These high-energy visible emissions are absorbed by the semiconducting host of BiVO4 that possesses a bandgap of ≈2.2 eV. Therefore, the NIR excitation to a single intense NIR emission fluorescent BiVO4 materials could be a potential ideal probe for deep-tissue high-resolution bioimaging. To validate the ability of BiVO4 materials for bio-applications, we conduct the cytotoxicity experiments. The results show that the cytotoxicity of HeLa cells is negligible at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml of BiVO4:Yb3+,Tm3+ , and the cell viability approaches 90% at a high dosage of 0.5 mg/ml. The Daphnia magna and Zebrafish treated with nanoparticles (0.5 mg/ml) display bright NIR emission without any background, indicating the excellent in vivo fluorescent imaging capacity of BiVO4:Yb3+,Tm3+ nanoparticles. Our findings offer an environment-friendly strategy to synthesize BiVO4 UCL nanophosphors and provide a promising new class of fluorescent probes for biological applications.

Fabrication of titanium doped BiVO4 as a novel visible light driven photocatalyst for degradation of residual tetracycline pollutant

In this study, titanium (Ti) was used as an active dopant to incorporate into BiVO4 lattice using the hydrothermal method. The synthesized BiVO4 and Ti–BiVO4 with 1, 5 and 10 wt% of Ti dopants have been applied for photocatalytic decomposition of Tetracycline under visible light irradiation. The characterized results showed that this synthesized BiVO4 and Ti–BiVO4 materials existed in a form of spherical particles. The particle sizes of the Ti–BiVO4 were much bigger than that of the BiVO4. However, Ti dopants effectively enhanced visible light absorption, decreased band gap energy as well as prevented electron-hole recombination of the BiVO4 leading to increase in photocatalytic activities of the doped materials. The obtained results from photocatalytic experiments indicated that the 5Ti–BiVO4, whose weight ratio of Ti was 5%, was the best material for TC degradation (78.49%). Recycling tests were consecutively carried out in 4 runs to demonstrate the stability of the BiVO4 photocatalyst with 5 wt% of Ti dopant.

Snow-like BiVO4 with rich oxygen defects for efficient visible light photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin

The overuse of ciprofloxacin (CIP), causing serious environment pollution, has drawn great attentions. To provide alternative solution to this problem, we synthesized a snow-like BiVO4 with rich oxygen vacancy by adjusting the amounts of cetyltrimethyl ammonia bromide (CTAB) surfactant. Various characterizations were performed to investigate the morphology and surface properties of the synthesized BiVO4. Interestingly, both the morphology and the amount of oxygen vacancy were related to the concentration of additional CTAB, and the most oxygen vacancies were generated when specific amount of CTAB (molar ratio of CTAB to Bi3+ of 0.2) was introduced. Photoluminescence and photoelectrochemical tests demonstrated that the presence of oxygen vacancy significantly enhanced the separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers in BiVO4. Subsequently, CIP photodegradation was significantly enhanced in the presence of snow-like BiVO4. Both quenching experiments and EPR tests demonstrated that photogenerated holes and •O2− were the main active species contributing to CIP degradation. Furthermore, CIP transformation pathway was proposed based on the identified transformation products. Our study developed a novel method to synthesize a BiVO4 material with snow-like morphology and abundant oxygen vacancy by simply varying the amount of surfactant. This study would shed light on designing the next generation photocatalyst with the assistant of surfactant to control the surface properties.

The structural and optical properties of Ag/Cu co-doped BiVO4 material: A density functional study

Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation was used to conduct a systematic theoretical study on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of pure, Ag-doped, Cu-doped, and (Ag, Cu) co-doped BiVO4. The simulated electronic structure showed that the synergistic effect of Ag/Cu co-doping can induce new energy states due to hybridization in the forbidden gap that resulted in decrease in the band gap of BiVO4, which indicates a decline in photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination and an understandable shift of absorption edge towards higher wavelength region. The (Ag, Cu) co-doped BiVO4 has a higher optical absorption intensity than pure Ag or Cu doped BiVO4, demonstrating the synergistic effect of Ag 4d and Cu 3d states. Furthermore, DFT calculations have been analyzed to explore the collective effect of Ag or/and Cu doping and the intrinsic oxygen vacancy defects in BiVO4.