BiVO4-nanorod-decorated rutile/anatase TiO2 nanofibers with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) nanorods (NRs)/bi-phase TiO2 hierarchical nanofibers have been successfully synthesized by electrospinning combined with hydrothermal process. Experimental results demonstrate that BiVO4/bi-phase TiO2 hierarchical nanofibers present the multilevel structures composed of BiVO4 NRs inlaid into TiO2 nanofibers. The as-prepared samples have the lower electron-hole recombination rates and higher transmission efficiency compared with pure BiVO4 NRs and bi-phase TiO2 nanofibers. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples are evaluated by photodegrading 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) solution, and the photocatalytic degradation rate of the BiVO4/bi-phase TiO2 hierarchical nanofibers reaches as high as 95.7% under simulated sunlight irradiation. The high photoelectrocatalytic properties of BiVO4/bi-phase TiO2 hierarchical nanofibers could be attributed to the successful establishment of BiVO4 and TiO2 heterojunctions. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.