Sunlight-driven degradation of Rhodamine B by peanut-shaped porous BiVO4nanostructures in the H2O2-containing system

Abstract

With Rhodamine B as a model compound, the photocatalytic oxidation of organic contaminants in aqueous solution was investigated within a cooperating porous BiVO₄/H₂O₂ system under simulated sunlight irradiation. Peanut-shaped porous BiVO₄ was prepared through a simple template-free solvothermal method with high yield, and was used in the cooperating catalyst/H₂O₂ system. The possible formation mechanism of peanut-shaped BiVO₄ nanostructures was investigated. In the peanut-shaped BiVO₄/H₂O₂ system, nearly complete degradation of Rhodamine B was observed after 60 min of irradiation under sunlight irradiation. The as-obtained porous BiVO₄ photocatalyst displayed higher photocatalytic activity than those of the reference product hydrothermally synthesized and the photocatalyst P25 in the same catalyst/H₂O₂/sunlight system. The photocatalytic processes of the BiVO₄/H₂O₂/sunlight system may consist of both OH˙ oxidation and direct hole attack. In addition, the peanut-shaped porous BiVO₄ nanostructures were stable and maintained high photocatalytic efficiency during repeated recycles in the H₂O₂-containing system.