Hydrothermal synthesis of phosphate-doped BiVO4 with exposed (010) facets and enhanced sunlight-driven photocatalytic properties

Phosphate-doped monoclinic BiVO4 (mBiVO(4)) single-crystalline sheets with exposed (010) facets were synthesized by a surfactant-free hydrothermal route for the first time. The results indicate that the appropriate addition of PO4 oxoanion has significant influence on the crystal growth of mBiVO(4) along (010) facets, as well as morphology of the products. The sheet-like mBiVO(4) doped with 5% PO4 oxoanion possesses the highest intensity ratio of I-(040)/I-(121), and exhibits the best sunlight-driven photocatalytic performance for methylene blue degradation. The exposed (010) facets of the PO4-doped mBiVO(4) which is in favor of increasing the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs plays a leading role on the enhanced photocatalytic activity of 5% PO4-doped mBiVO(4). (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.