Graphene quantum dot sensitized leaf-like InVO4/BiVO4 nanostructure: a novel ternary heterostructured QD-RGO/InVO4/BiVO4 composite with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Published in: Dalton transactions : an international journal of inorganic chemistry 2015-11, Vol.44 (44), p.19185-19193
• Main Authors: Lin, Xue, Wang, Yushuang, Zheng, Jia, Liu, Chang, Yang, Yang, Che, Guangbo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/c5dt03251b

Leaf-like InVO 4 /BiVO 4 nanostructures with sizes of 2-5 μm were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. Graphene quantum dots (QD-RGO) were then deposited onto the surfaces of the leaf-like InVO 4 /BiVO 4 crystals through a facile deposition-precipitation technique. Under visible light irradiation ( λ > 420 nm), the QD-RGO/InVO 4 /BiVO 4 photocatalyst degraded rhodamine B (Rh B) efficiently and displayed a much higher photocatalytic activity than pure BiVO 4 , InVO 4 , RGO/InVO 4 , RGO/BiVO 4 or an InVO 4 /BiVO 4 hybrid. The InVO 4 /BiVO 4 photocatalyst with 3 wt% of QD-RGO exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency. The quenching effects of different scavengers demonstrated that O 2 &z.rad; − played a major role in Rh B degradation. It was elucidated that the excellent photocatalytic activity of QD-RGO/InVO 4 /BiVO 4 for the degradation of Rh B under visible light ( λ > 420 nm) can be ascribed to the extended absorption in the visible light region resulting from the QD-RGO loading, the high specific surface area, and the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes through the QD-RGO/InVO 4 /BiVO 4 heterostructure. A QD-RGO/InVO 4 /BiVO 4 nanoheterostructure exhibiting enhanced photocatalytic activity was synthesized. The heterostructure included QD-RGO assembled on the surface of leaf-like InVO 4 /BiVO 4 .