Effects of aluminum substitution on photocatalytic property of BiVO4 under visible light irradiation

Novel visible-light-driven Al/BiVO4 photocatalysts were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method for the first time. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2-sorption, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by the decomposition of methylene blue under visible light irradiation (400 nm < λ <580 nm) and was compared with that of single-phase BiVO4. The results revealed that the introduction of Al can improve photocatalytic performance greatly and different concentration of Al resulted in different photocatalytic activity. The highest activity is obtained by the sample with a doping concentration of 12 at%. The reason for the enhanced photocatalytic activities of Al/BiVO4 samples was also discussed in this paper.

Visible-light-driven Al/BiVO4 photocatalyst was prepared by a hydrothermal process. After introducing Al, the BiVO4 particles retain monoclinic scheelite structures and the ability of visible light absorption is enhanced. XPS and FTIR results reveal that the Al ions influence the local structure of the BiVO4. The photocatalytic experiments demonstrate that the Al species incorporation can effectively enhance the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 due to the existence of distorted VO43− tetrahedron and the stronger optical absorption intensity.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► The visible-light-driven Al/BiVO4 photocatalysts are first prepared in our study.
► It is found that Al is introduced into the BiVO4 lattice successfully.
► The Al-doped BiVO4 shows a far higher photocatalytic activity than undoped BiVO4.
► One of the reason for the higher activity is the distorted VO43− tetrahedron.
► Another reason for the higher activity is the strong optical absorption intensity.