An inorganic hydrothermal route to photocatalytically active bismuth vanadate

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General General, 2010-02, Vol.375 (1), p.140-148
• Main Authors: Zhou, Ying, Vuille, Kathrin, Heel, Andre, Probst, Benjamin, Kontic, Roman, Patzke, Greta R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active control; Additives; Bismuth vanadate; Catalysis; Chemistry; Decomposition; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrothermal synthesis; Hydrothermal systems; Morphology; Oxygen evolution; Photocatalysis; Photochemistry; Physical chemistry of induced reactions (with radiations, particles and ultrasonics); Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Vanadates; Vanadium pentoxide
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2009.12.031

BiVO 4 particles with high crystallinity are accessible via a straightforward and one-step hydrothermal process that offers preparative flexibility through inorganic templating. The reaction of Bi(NO 3) 3·5H 2O and V 2O 5 is steered with K 2SO 4 as an inorganic additive towards BiVO 4 materials with a high photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of MB under visible light irradiation. BiVO 4 has attracted research interest as one of the most promising visible-light-driven oxidic photocatalysts for water splitting and wastewater treatment. Highly crystalline BiVO 4 particles with a homogeneous morphology are now available from a straightforward, one-step hydrothermal protocol. The facile morphology control of BiVO 4 particles in the Bi(NO 3) 3·5H 2O/V 2O 5/K 2SO 4 hydrothermal system is achieved through K 2SO 4 as an inorganic additive that brings forward materials with a high photocatalytic activity. BiVO 4 particles generated from this inorganic additive-assisted approach outperform BiVO 4 materials obtained via other preparative routes in the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The relations between morphology, crystallinity and photocatalytic O 2 evolution in the presence of AgNO 3 and FeCl 3 as sacrificial reagents were studied with respect to the hydrothermal optimization of material properties. Furthermore, the Bi(NO 3) 3·5H 2O/V 2O 5/K 2SO 4 hydrothermal system brings forward potassium vanadate fibers as a second phase that also exhibits promising photocatalytic properties with respect to the decomposition of MB in the presence of visible light.