ABSTRACT
A BiVO4/FeVO4 nanocomposite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The prepared heterojunction photocatalyst was characterized physically and chemically using XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS, BET, FT-IR, Raman, UV-vis DRS, EPR and photoluminescence techniques. BiVO4/FeVO4 was explored for its photocatalytic activity by the decomposition of crystal violet (CV) organic dye under visible radiation. This experiment showed that BiVO4/FeVO4 at a ratio of 2 : 1 completely degrades CV within 60 min. In addition, BiVO4/FeVO4 was investigated for the electrochemical detection of the useful analyte ascorbic acid using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry techniques. This work reveals the potential of the BiVO4/FeVO4 nanocomposite for applications in environmental disciplines as well as in biosensing.
ABSTRACT
In this study, a Zn3(VO4)2/BiVO4 heterojunction nanocomposite photocatalyst was prepared using a hydrothermal route with different molar concentration ratios. The as-synthesized nanophotocatalyst was characterized using XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, FT-IR, Raman, BET, UV-vis DRS, EPR and PL. The effect of molar ratio on composition and morphology was studied. The as-prepared nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic response by completely degrading the model pollutant methylene blue (MB) dye in 60 min at molar concentration ratio of 2 : 1. In basic medium at pH 12, the Zn3(VO4)2/BiVO4 nanocomposite degrades MB completely within 45 min. The nanocomposite was also successfully used for the electrochemical detection of an important analyte hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This study opens up a new horizon for the potential applications of Zn3(VO4)2/BiVO4 nanocomposite in environmental wastewater remediation as well as biosensing sciences.
