Hierarchical bismuth vanadate/reduced graphene oxide composite photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution and bisphenol A degradation

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a widely studied photocatalyst for the depollution of contaminated wastewater, production hydrogen by water splitting, and organic synthesis. The photophysical properties BiVO4 are sensitive to morphology quantum confinement effects, can exhibit enhanced photocatalytic performance in nanocomposites with graphene. Synthesis hierarchical plates decorated nanoparticles (h-BiVO4) contact reduced graphene oxide (RGO) reported via facile one-pot solution phase approach using ethanolamine polyethylene glycol stabilizer. resulting h-BiVO4/RGO exhibited superior photoactivity bisphenol A (BPA) degradation evolution under visible light irradiation compared single component h-BiVO4 or ?m-sized block-like morphology. Rates BPA apparent efficiency (AQE) decreased order (4.5 × 10?2 mmol.g?1.min?1; 15.1% AQE) > (3.5 11.7% (1 3.4% AQE), representing 4.5 fold enhancement versus BiVO4. Liquid photodegradation products included benzene-1,4-diol, cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (2Z)-but-2-enedioic acid. rate was 11.5 µmol.g?1.h?1 h-BiVO4/RGO, ~383.3 times greater than (0.03µmol.g?1.h?1). largely attributed its higher surface area, aided absorption charge separation across semiconductor-RGO interface, which together confer density lifetime photoexcited carriers.