Additive-free hydrothermal synthesis of novel bismuth vanadium oxide dendritic structures as highly efficient visible-light photocatalysts

A novel bismuth vanadium oxide (BiVO4) dendritic structure was successfully synthesized via an additive-free hydrothermal route. The crystal structures, morphologies and photophysical properties of the as-obtained BiVO4 samples were characterized. The photocatalytic activities of the as-synthesized BiVO4 samples were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation. BiVO4 sample synthesized at 140 °C showed the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency, up to 99.3%, due to its relatively high surface area and high crystallinity.