title: Synthesis of BiVO4@C Core-Shell Structure on Reduced Graphene Oxide with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity.
abstract: Herein, a facile strategy for the controllable synthesis of BiVO4@C core-shell nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is reported. The BiVO4 particle size can be controlled in the process by adjusting the volume ratio of glycerol in the sol-gel solution. The glycerol layers adsorbed on BiVO4 (BiVO4@glycerol) made it possible to form hydrogen bonds between BiVO4@glycerol and graphene oxide with the assistance of ultrasound. After thermal treatment, glycerol adsorbed on the BiVO4 particles formed amorphous carbon shells to link the particles and RGO. As a result, the obtained RGO-BiVO4@C nanocomposite showed a five times higher rate in O2 evolution from water under visible-light irradiation. Also, it demonstrated a six times higher photocatalytic performance enhancement than that of pure BiVO4 in the degradation of Rhodamine B. The enhanced performance is attributed to the carbon shells that restrict the growth of BiVO4 , the reduced graphene oxide that improves the electronic conductivity of the composite, and importantly, the bonds formed between the carbon shells and RGO that reduce the recombination loss of photogenerated charges effectively. The strategy is simple, effective, and can be extended to other ternary oxides with controlled size and high performance.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (PR China).
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (South Korea).
authors.forename: Chenzhe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (PR China). smzhu@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shenmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (South Korea).
authors.forename: Maenghyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia).
authors.forename: Zhixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (South Korea).
authors.forename: Kyeongjae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (PR China).
authors.forename: Yongliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (PR China).
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (PR China).
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001729:Bismuth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D002384:Catalysis; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D014638:Vanadates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D012235:Rhodamines; C091754:bismuth vanadium tetraoxide; D014638:Vanadates; D006108:Graphite; C029773:rhodamine B; D005990:Glycerol; D001729:Bismuth
keywords: bismuth; energy conversion; graphene; photochemistry; vanadium