Fabrication and photoactivities of spherical-shaped BiVO4 photocatalysts through solution combustion synthesis method

Spherical-shaped BiVO4 photocatalysts were prepared by the solution combustion synthesis method. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen absorption for the BET specific surface area, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and ultraviolet–visible diffraction reflection spectroscopy (UV–vis). The BiVO4 crystallites show a monoclinic structure with diameter of about 400–600 nm. UV–vis diffusion absorption spectra indicate that the band gap absorption edge of pure BiVO4 crystallites prepared by the SCS method and the SSR method are 523 nm and 540 nm, corresponding to the band gap energies of 2.45 eV and 2.40 eV, respectively. It is also found that the photocatalytic activity of degradation of methylene blue improves when the molar ratio of fuels to oxidizer is 5.