Synthesis and photocatalytic performances of BiVO4 by ammonia co-precipitation process

✍ Scribed by Jianqiang Yu; Yan Zhang; Akihiko Kudo

• Book ID: 104030269
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 646 KB
• Volume: 182
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4596
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2008.10.021

✦ Synopsis

This paper reports the preparation and photocatalytic performance of Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) by a facile and inexpensive approach. An amorphous BiVO 4 was first prepared by a co-precipitation process from aqueous solutions of Bi(NO 3 ) 3 and NH 4 VO 3 using ammonia. Followed by heating treatment at various temperatures, the amorphous phase converted to crystalline BiVO 4 with a structure between monoclinic and tetragonal scheelite. The crystallization of BiVO 4 occurred at about 523 K, while the nanocrystalline BiVO 4 were formed with a heat-treatment of lower than 673 K. However, when the heat-treatment was carried out at 773 K, the accumulation of nanocrystals to bulk particles was observed. The photocatalytic performances of the materials were investigated by O 2 evolution under visible-light, and MB decomposition under solar simulator. The results demonstrated that the crystalline structure is still the vital factor for the activities of both reactions. However, the crystallinity of BiVO 4 gives a major influence on the activity of O 2 evolution, whereas the surface area, plays an important role for photocatalytic MB decomposition.