Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of phase controlled BiVO4 nanocrystals and research on photocatalytic properties under visible light irradiation

• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-007-9310-y
• Publication Date: 2007-10-22T08:57:34Z
• Authors: Hui Ming Zhang; Jing Bing Liu; Hao Wang; Wen Xiong Zhang; Hui Yan
• Keywords: Monoclinic crystal system; Tetragonal crystal system; Visible spectrum

Pure tetragonal and monoclinic phases BiVO4 were prepared from aqueous Bi (NO3)3 and NaVO3 solutions by a rapid microwave-assisted method that employed accurate controlling of microwave irradiation time and power. The highly crystalline phase converted irreversibly from tetragonal to monoclinic BiVO4 with gradually elongated irradiation time gradually, which is further proved by X-ray diffraction, UV–vis and Raman measurements. These variations of phase structures led to different photocatalytic properties under visible light.