TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploration of a novel Type II 1D-ZnO nanorods/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst for water depollution
AU - Chang, Jang Sen
AU - Phuan, Yi Wen
AU - Chong, Meng Nan
AU - Ocon, Joey D.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Mr. Loo Hui Jie and Mr. Darren Low Yi Sern for their assistance in conducting the experiments. Prof. MN Chong is highly indebted to the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship (Reference No.: NA150418) awarded to him. Mr. Chang Jang Sen is thankful to the MyBrain15 scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia . Appendix A
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/3/25
Y1 - 2020/3/25
N2 - In this study, we reported on the successful fabrication of a novel heterojunction photocatalyst (in particulate system) with a Type II band alignment between 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals. Pristine 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals were first fabricated through hydrothermal reaction followed by heterojunction formation via the wet chemical reaction. The 1D-ZnO/xBiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst (x = weight ratio of BiVO4 in g) that found optimum when x = 0.08 g was used for the degradation of salicylic acid (SA) and Reactive Black 5 (RB5) resulting in high pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants of 0.0049 min−1 and 0.0132 min−1, respectively. Electrochemical studies proved that the 1D-ZnO/0.08BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst demonstrated a fast charge mobility and the most efficient photogenerated charge carriers separation among other heterojunction samples as analysed from PL spectra. Besides, UV–vis spectroscopic measurement and optical characterisation showed that the improved photoactivity in 1D-ZnO/BiVO4 is attributed to the formation of a Type II heterojunction staggered arrangement that enables a broader visible-light harvesting ability. Finally, a postulation photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the theoretical band alignment diagram between the 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals as well as portraying the fundamental charge carriers transfer within the 1D-ZnO/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst.
AB - In this study, we reported on the successful fabrication of a novel heterojunction photocatalyst (in particulate system) with a Type II band alignment between 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals. Pristine 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals were first fabricated through hydrothermal reaction followed by heterojunction formation via the wet chemical reaction. The 1D-ZnO/xBiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst (x = weight ratio of BiVO4 in g) that found optimum when x = 0.08 g was used for the degradation of salicylic acid (SA) and Reactive Black 5 (RB5) resulting in high pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants of 0.0049 min−1 and 0.0132 min−1, respectively. Electrochemical studies proved that the 1D-ZnO/0.08BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst demonstrated a fast charge mobility and the most efficient photogenerated charge carriers separation among other heterojunction samples as analysed from PL spectra. Besides, UV–vis spectroscopic measurement and optical characterisation showed that the improved photoactivity in 1D-ZnO/BiVO4 is attributed to the formation of a Type II heterojunction staggered arrangement that enables a broader visible-light harvesting ability. Finally, a postulation photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the theoretical band alignment diagram between the 1D-ZnO nanorods and BiVO4 nanocrystals as well as portraying the fundamental charge carriers transfer within the 1D-ZnO/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst.
KW - 1D-ZnO nanorods
KW - Bismuth vanadate (BiVO)
KW - Heterojunction photocatalysts
KW - Photocatalytic degradation
KW - Type II heterojunction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076454705&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jiec.2019.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jiec.2019.12.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85076454705
VL - 83
SP - 303
EP - 314
JO - Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
JF - Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
SN - 1226-086X
ER -