High performance B doped BiVO4 photocatalyst with visible light response by citric acid complex method

• The B-doped BiVO4 was synthesized and characterized.
• The B doping can significantly increase the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4.
• The maximum activity was observed when the molar ratio of B/Bi was 0.04.
• The higher activity can be related to more oxygen vacancies, V4+ and a red shift.

A B-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst was synthesized by citric acid complex method and using H3BO3 as the dopant source, and the photocatalyst was characterized with XPS, XRD, SEM, BET and UV–Vis DRS. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of a methyl orange (MO) solution under visible light. This assay revealed that both the pure BiVO4 and all of the B doped samples were the monoclinic phase. Doping the BiVO4 with B increased the number of V4+ and oxygen vacancies, which led to the red shift of the absorbing boundary of the B-doped BiVO4 but had little influence on the morphology and crystal size. The B doping improved the photocatalytic activity, and the highest photocatalytic degradation rate of 98% occurred with a B dopant concentration of 0.04.

The figure shows the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 and B-doped BiVO4 with different B doping content. The photocatalytic activities increased with increased B doping amount, when the initial molar ratio of B/Bi below 0.04. On the other hand, the activities decreased when the B doping amount was above 0.04. The optimum molar ratio of B to Bi was 0.04.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide