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Hydrothermal Preparation and Characterization of TiO 2 /Bi VO 4 Composite Catalyst and its Photolysis of Water to Produce Hydrogen
Author(s) -
Jian Zicong,
Huang Shaobin,
Cao Yaya,
Zhang Yongqing
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/php.12575
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , bismuth vanadate , materials science , catalysis , monoclinic crystal system , visible spectrum , diffuse reflection , hydrogen production , water splitting , hydrogen , chemical engineering , photochemistry , nuclear chemistry , chemistry , crystal structure , optics , crystallography , organic chemistry , physics , optoelectronics , engineering
In the present work, bismuth vanadate composited photocatalysts were synthesized and characterized. X‐ray diffractometry and Raman results showed that the particles were well crystallized, and formed by the complex of monoclinic Bi VO 4 and TiO 2 . On electron microscopy, the photocatalyst exhibited high crystallization, agglutination and irregular shape, and was surrounded by numerous TiO 2 particles. The study of surface areas showed that the specific surface area of 30‐Bi VO 4 /TiO 2 composited was 112 m 2 ·g −1 , which was nearly 10 times that of pure Bi VO 4 . The ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectra indicated the composited photocatalyst were activated in visible light. The activity of photocatalytic water splitting was studied. The results showed that monomer Bi VO 4 photocatalyst was not able to produce hydrogen under any light source. Bi VO 4 /TiO 2 composited photocatalysts, however, were capable of generating hydrogen. Under UV light irradiation for 120 min, 1 g catalyst dispersed in 50 mL deionized water produced almost 1 mL hydrogen, such that the productivity of hydrogen was higher than that of P25‐TiO 2 . Photocatalytic decomposition of water under visible light also confirmed that the Bi VO 4 /TiO 2 composited photocatalyst had the ability of water splitting.