Excellent photocatalytic activity of Yb3+, Er3+ co-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 152-153; pp. 328 - 334
• Main Authors: OBREGON, S, COLON, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 25.06.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: BiVO4; Catalysis; Chemistry; Erbium; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Methylene Blue; O2 evolution; Photocatalysis; Photochemistry; Physical chemistry of induced reactions (with radiations, particles and ultrasonics); Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Up-conversion; Ytterbium; O2 evolution; Ytterbium; Photocatalysis; BiVO4; Methylene Blue; Erbium; Up-conversion; Heterogeneous catalysis; evolution; Conversion; Photocatalyst; Methylene blue; Environmental protection; BiVO; O
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.01.054

•By lanthanide doping we achieved a monoclinic-tetragonal heterostructured BiVO4.•The formed heterojunction promote the charge carrier separation.•Occurrence of lantanide ions promotes an up-conversion luminescence process.•We provide evidences of NIR photoactivity for Yb3+,Er3+ doped systems.•The presence of Yb3+ seems to exalt the NIR photoactivity. Ytterbium-Erbium co-doped BiVO4 have been synthesized by means of a surfactant free hydrothermal method having good photoactivities under sun-like excitation for the degradation of Methylene Blue and O2 evolution reactions. From the structural and morphological characterization it has been stated that the presence of Yb3+ and Er3+ induces the stabilization of the tetragonal phase probably due to its substitutional incorporation in the BiVO4 lattice. The occurrence of the Yb3+,Er3+ co-doped monoclinic-tetragonal BiVO4 heterostructure induces the higher photocatalytic activities. The best photocatalytic performance was attained for the sample with 1:4 Er3+:Yb3+ ratio. The observed NIR photoactivity clearly denotes the occurrence of an up-conversion mechanism involved in the overall photocatalytic process.