Carbon doped solid solution Bi0.5Dy0.5VO4 for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water

In this study, carbon doped Bi0.5Dy0.5VO4 solid solution was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, and photocurrent density. The as-synthesized sample shows the superior photocatalytic activity of splitting water into hydrogen: the amount of produced hydrogen is 506.3 μmol h−1 g−1. The enhanced activity could be attributed to the light absorption behavior of the carbon spheres (CSs) and effective separation of photo-generated holes and electrons.