Key Words:Bismuth compounds;Aromatic compounds - Degradation - Fabrication - High resolution transmission electron microscopy - Hydrothermal synthesis - Irradiation - Light - Nanocomposites - Photocatalytic activity - Photodegradation - Scanning electron microscopy - TiO2 nanoparticles - Titanium dioxide - X ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract:BiVO<inf>4</inf>/TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposites were fabricated by a facile wet-chemical process, followed by the synthesis of TiO<inf>2</inf> hierarchical spheres via hydrothermal method. The BiVO<inf>4</inf>/TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that prepared TiO<inf>2</inf> presented hierarchical spherical morphology self-assembled by nanoparticles and an anatase–brookite mixed crystal phase. The introduction of monoclinic BiVO<inf>4</inf> components retained the hierarchical structures and expanded the light response to around 510 nm. Type II BiVO<inf>4</inf>/TiO<inf>2</inf> heterostructured nanocomposites exhibited improved photocatalytic degradation towards methylene blue under visible-light irradiation, especially for the composite photocatalysts with atomic Ti/Bi = 10, which showed double degradation rate than that of pure BiVO<inf>4</inf>. The enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of the heterostructured BiVO<inf>4</inf>/TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposites was discussed as well.<br/> © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Volume:53

Issue:16

Translation or Not:no