Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of phase controlled BiVO4 nanocrystals and research on photocatalytic properties under visible light irradiation

Pure tetragonal and monoclinic phases BiVO(4) were prepared from aqueous Bi (NO(3))(3) and NaVO(3) solutions by a rapid microwave-assisted method that employed accurate controlling of microwave irradiation time and power. The highly crystalline phase converted irreversibly from tetragonal to monoclinic BiVO(4) with gradually elongated irradiation time gradually, which is further proved by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis and Raman measurements. These variations of phase structures led to different photocatalytic properties under visible light.