Microwave hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic properties of TiO2/BiVO4 composite photocatalysts

TiO2/BiVO4 composite photocatalysts with heterojunction structures were synthesized by the one-step microwave hydrothermal method. The physical and photophysical properties of the as-prepared photocatalysts were fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence (PL) and BET surface area analysis. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the decolorization of rhodamine B under UV and simulated sun-light irradiation. The results reveal that the as-prepared TiO2/BiVO4 composites exhibit higher photocatalytic activities than pure BiVO4. The 20% TiO2/BiVO4 sample shows the best photocatalytic activity. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the increasing separation rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The possible photocatalytic mechanism is discussed on the basis of the calculated energy band positions.