Facile synthesis of α-Ag3VO4 hollow nanospheres with improved photocatalytic activities

The development of efficient photocatalysts is of paramount significance for sustainable availability of solar energy. Herein, hollow α-Ag3VO4 photocatalysis crystallites were successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach without modifier. The morphology, phase composition and crystal structure of α-Ag3VO4 crystallites are strongly dependent on the pH values of the precursor solution, and the formation of hollow α-Ag3VO4 nanospheres merely occurs at pH = 10. Furthermore, hollow α-Ag3VO4 nanospheres exhibit superior photocatalytic activities compared with bulk α-Ag3VO4 for the degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh B) under the simulated solar light, achieving up to 97% degradation in 2 h irradiation. This improved photocatalytic performance of hollow α-Ag3VO4 nanospheres is primarily attributed to the synergistic effect of the improved electron-transfer efficiency, the extended light absorption range and effective separation of electron-hole pairs.