Increased photocatalytic activity caused by B doping into BiVO4

We have prepared B-doped BiVO4 (B-BiVO4) with oval-shaped morphology through a simple, one-step hydrothermal route employing sodium citrate as the chelating agent and H3BO3 as the dopant source. We then evaluated the photocatalytic activity of B-BiVO4 through the mineralization of phenoxyacetic acid. Our results demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 increased appreciably following the B doping. We assign the increased photocatalytic activity to be due tothe increased electron population, as is evidenced by the increased infrared absorption induced by ultraviolet-visible light. We furthermore propose the increased electron population to be caused by additional electronic transitions from the partially occupied mid-gap states created by the guest B dopants to the conduction band of the host BiVO4.