A polymeric complex method to nanocrystalline BiCu2VO6 with visible light photocatalytic activity

Nanocrystalline BiCu2VO6 was successfully synthesized by a facile polymeric citrate complex method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), thermogravimetric analyses (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). BiCu2VO6 showed photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB under visible light irradiations with the coexistence of H2O2. As compared to BiCu2VO6 prepared via a solid state reaction, BiCu2VO6 prepared via a polymeric citrate complex method showed higher photocatalytic activity. The visible light photocatalytic activity of BiCu2VO6 was also proposed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.