Synthesis of BiVO₄/Bi₂VO_5.5 Heterogeneous Nanostructures with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

BiVO 4 /Bi 2 VO 5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity were successfully prepared by a facile one-pot solvothermal method, where diethylene glycol (DEG) was used as the solvent. The as-prepared products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results revealed that the molar ratio of Bi 3+ to VO 4 3- played an important role in the formation of crystal and morphology. These BiVO 4 /Bi 2 VO 5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures exhibited higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic efficiency compared to the pure BiVO 4 and Bi 2 VO 5.5 . For the methyl orange (MO) degradation efficiency of BiVO 4 /Bi 2 VO 5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures under visible light irradiation, about 95% of MO was degraded within 40min, which is much higher than pure BiVO 4 and Bi 2 VO 5.5 . The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can attribute to the promoted light absorption capability and the separation efficiency of photo-generated electron-hole pairs.