Full-spectrum responsive photocatalytic activity via non-noble metal Bi decorated mulberry-like BiVO_(4)

摘要

Due to its appropriate bandgap(~2.4 e V)and efficient light absorption,bismuth vanadate(Bi VO_(4))shows promising photocatalysis activity.However,the charge carrier recombination and poor electron transmission often induce poor photocatalytic performance.Herein,we report a new method to in-situ synthesize non-noble metal Bi decorated mulberry-like Bi VO_(4)by a two-step calcination process.Comprehensive characterizations reveal that non-noble metal Bi nanoparticles grown in-situ on Bi VO_(4)result in the red-shift of the absorbance edge,greatly extending the light absorption from the ultraviolet into the near-infrared region.The surface plasmon resonance excitation of Bi nanoparticles and synergetic effects between Bi and Bi VO_(4)effectively improve the photocatalytic efficiency and promote the separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs in mulberry-like Bi VO_(4).Density functional theory(DFT)calculation results further verify that the electrons are transferred from Bi to Bi VO_(4)and the formation of·OH radical in Bi/Bi VO_(4)is attributed to the lower simulated free energy,which supports our experimental outcomes.This work provides a novel strategy to enhance light absorption and promote efficient solar utilization of photocatalysts for practical applications.