Abstract
BiVO4 photocatalysts were synthesized by a surfactant free hydrothermal method without any further treatments, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area techniques. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of the methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Seen from the structural and morphological characterization, it is stated that the obtained samples present monoclinic phase, and the pH value has significant influence on the morphologies. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was associated with its crystallinity, unique morphology, band gap energy, BET specific surface area, surface charge and adsorption capacity. The recycle experiments results show that the BiVO4 photocatalysts have excellent photo-stability, and we deduced a possible mechanism by examining the effects of the active species involved in the photocatalytic process for MB photocatalytic degradation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Li CJ, Wang SP, Wang T, et al. Monoclinic Porous BiVO4 Networks Decorated by Discrete G-C3N4 Nano-islands with Tunable Coverage for Highly Efficient Photocatalysis[J]. Small, 2014: 1–8
Hu Y, Li D Z, Sun FQ, et al. One-pot Template-free Synthesis of Heterophase BiVO4 Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity[J]. RSC Adv., 2015, 5: 54882–54889
Gu SN, Li WJ, Wang FZ, et al. Synthesis of Buckhorn-like BiVO4 with a Shell of CeOx Nanodots: Effect of Heterojunction Structure on the Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity[J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2015, 170–171: 186–194
Obregón S, Colón G. Heterostructured Er3+ Doped BiVO4 with Exceptional Photocatalytic Performance by Cooperative Electronic and Luminescence Sensitization Mechanism[J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2014, 158–159: 242–249
Li JQ, Cui MM, Liu ZX, et al. BiVO4 Hollow Spheres with Hierarchical Microstructures and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance under Visible-light Illumination[J]. Phys. Status Solidi A, 2013, 9: 1881–1887
Zhang ZJ, Wang WZ, Shang M, et al. Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B and Phenol by Solution Combustion Synthesized BiVO4 Photocatalyst[J]. Catal. Commun., 2010, 11: 982–986
Fan HM, Jiang TF, Li HY, et al. Effect of BiVO4 Crystalline Phases on the Photoinduced Carriers Behavior and Photocatalytic Activity[J]. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116: 2425–2430
Tokunaga S, Kato H, Kudo A. Selective Preparation of Monoclinic and Tetragonal BiVO4 with Scheelite Structure and Their Photocatalytic Properties[J]. Chem. Mater., 2001, 13: 4624–4628
Cheng B, Wang WG, Shi L, et al. One-pot Template-free Hydrothermal Synthesis of Monoclinic BiVO4 Hollow Microspheres and Their Enhanced Visible-light Photocatalytic Activity[J]. Int. J. Photoenergy, 2012: 1–10
Shen Y, Huang ML, Huang Y, et al. The Synthesis of Bismuth Vanadate Powders and Their Photocatalytic Properties under Visible Light Irradiation[J]. J. Alloys Compd., 2010, 496: 287–292
Ke DN, Peng TY, Ma L, et al. Effects of Hydrothermal Temperature on the Microstructures of BiVO4 and Its Photocatalytic O2 Evolution Activity under Visible Light[J]. Inorg. Chem., 2009, 48: 4685–4691
Xu J, Wang WZ, Wang J, et al. Controlled Fabrication and Enhanced Photocatalystic Performance of BiVO4@CeO2 Hollow Microspheres for the Visible-light-driven Degradation of Rhodamine B[J]. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2015, 349: 529–537
Jiang HY, Meng X, Dai HX, et al. High-performance Porous Spherical or Octapod-like Single-crystalline BiVO4 Photocatalysts for the Removal of Phenol and Methylene Blue under Visible-light Illumination[J]. J. Hazard. Mater., 2012, 217–218: 92–99
Thalluri SM, Hussain M, Saracco G, et al. Green-synthesized BiVO4 Oriented Along {040} Facets for Visible Light-driven Ethylene Degradation[J]. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2014, 53: 2640–2646
Eda S, Fujishima M, Tada H. Low Temperature-synthesis of BiVO4 Nanorods Using Polyethylene Glycol as a Soft Template and the Visible-light-activity for Copper Acetylacetonate Decomposition[J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2012, 125: 288–293
Dong SY, Feng JL, Li YK, et al. Shape-controlled Synthesis of BiVO4 Hierarchical Structures with Unique Natural-sunlight-driven Photocatalytic Activity[J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2014, 152–153: 413–424
Sun JH, Yang H. A Polyacrylamide Gel Route to Photocatalytically Active BiVO4 Particles with Monoclinic Scheelite Structure[J]. Ceram. Int., 2014, 40: 6399–6404
Jiang HY, Dai HX, Meng X, et al. Hydrothermal Fabrication and Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Properties of Bismuth Vanadate with Multiple Morphologies and/or Porous Structures for Methyl Orange Degradation[J]. J.Environ. Sci., 2012, 3: 449–457
García-Péreza UM, Martínezde la Cruzb A, Sepúlveda-Guzmánb S, Peral J. Low-temperature Synthesis of BiVO4 Powders by Pluronic-Assisted Hydrothermal Method: Effect of the Surfactant and Temperature on the Morphology and Structural Control[J]. Ceram. Int., 2014, 40: 4631–4638
Li F, Yang CY, Li QG, et al. The pH-controlled Morphology Transition of BiVO4 Photocatalysts from Microparticles to Hollow Microspheres [J]. Mater. Lett., 2015, 145: 52–55
Sun SM, Wang WZ, Zhou L, et al. Efficient Methylene Blue Removal Over Hydrothermally Synthesized Starlike BiVO4[J]. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2009, 48: 1735–1739
Shen Y, Huang M, Huang Y, et al. The Synthesis of Bismuth Vanadate Powders and Their Photocatalytic Properties under Visible Light Irradiation[J]. J. Alloys Compd., 2010, 496: 287–292
Shang M, Wang WZ, Ren J, et al. A Novel BiVO4 Hierarchical Nanostructure: Controllable Synthesis, Growth Mechanism, and Application in Photocatalysis[J]. Cryst. Eng. Comm., 2010, 12: 1754–1758
Obregón S, Caballero A, Colón G. Hydrothermal Synthesis of BiVO4: Structural and Morphological Influence on the Photocatalytic Activity [J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2012, 117–118: 59–66
Yu JQ, Kudo A. Effects of Structural Variation on the Photocatalytic Performance of Hydrothermally Synthesized BiVO4[J]. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2006, 16: 2163–2169
Ai ZH, Lee SC. Morphology-dependent Photocatalytic Removal of NO by Hierarchical BiVO4 Microboats and Microspheres under Visible Light[J]. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2013, 280: 354–359
Kho YK, Teoh WY, Iwase A, et al. Flame Preparation of Visible-light-Responsive BiVO4 Oxygen Evolution Photocatalysts with Subsequent Activation Via Aqueous Route[J]. ACS Appl. Mater. Inter., 2011, 3: 1997–2004
Yao MM, Liu MX, Gan LH, et al. Monoclinic Mesoporous BiVO4: Synthesis and Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Property[J]. Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 2013, 433: 132–138
Zhang AP, Zhang JZ, Cui NY, et al. Effects of pH on Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Visible-light-driven BiVO4 Photocatalyst[J]. J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 2009, 304: 28–32
Zhou B, Zhao X, Liu HJ, Qu J, et al. Synthesis of Visible-light Sensitive M-BiVO4 (M = Ag, Co, and Ni) for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants[J]. Separ. Purif. Tech., 2011, 77: 275–282
Zhou Y, Vuille K, Heel A, et al. An Inorganic Hydrothermal Route to Photocatalytically Active Bismuth Vanadate[J]. Appl. Catal. A: Gene., 2010, 375: 140–148
Wen LP, Liu BS, Liu C, et al. Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Property of Ag-loaded TiO2 Powders Using Photodeposition Method[J]. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2008, 24(2): 258–263
Guo WF, Li HP, Teng WX, et al. Effect of the pH Value of Synthesis Conditions on the Phase Structure and Photocatalytic Properties of Bismuth Molybdates Synthesized Using a Hydrothermal Method[J]. Nanomater. Nanotechnol., 2015, 5: 24
Lei LW, Jin HH, Zhang Q, et al. A Novel Enhanced Visible-light-driven Photocatalyst Via Hybridization of Nanosized BiOCl and Graphitic C3N4[J]. Dalton Trans., 2015, 44: 795–803
Jiang HY, Dai HX, Meng X, et al. Porous Olive-like BiVO4: Alcohohydrothermal Preparation and Excellent Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Performance for the Degradation of Phenol[J]. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2011, 105: 326–334
Meng X, Zhang L, Dai HX, et al. Surfactant-assisted Hydrothermal Fabrication and Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene blue Over Multiple Morphological BiVO4 Singlecrystallites[ J]. Mater. Chem. Phys., 2011, 125: 59–65
Li GS, Zhang DQ, Yu JC. Ordered Mesoporous BiVO4 Through Nanocasting: a Superior Visible Light-driven Photocatalyst[J]. Chem. Mater., 2008, 20: 3983–3992
Yang XF, Cui HY, Li Y, et al. Fabrication of Ag3PO4-graphene Composites with Highly Efficient and Stable Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance[J]. ACS Catal., 2013, 3: 363–369
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Funded by the National Science Foundation of China (U12301013) and the National Science Foundation of China (51521001)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guo, M., He, Q., Wang, W. et al. Fabrication of BiVO4: Effect of structure and morphology on photocatalytic activity and its methylene blue decomposition mechanism. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol.-Mat. Sci. Edit. 31, 791–798 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-016-1447-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-016-1447-z