Synthesis of BiVO4/bismuth oxides nano-heterostructures and evaluation of photocatalytic properties

• Grant number: 13/13888-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal researcher: Cauê Ribeiro de Oliveira
• Grantee: Osmando Ferreira Lopes
• Home Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Semiconductors activated under visible light are of great interest for photocatalytic processes such as degradation of organic pollutants and water splitting (hydrogen production) under solar radiation. Among the materials less studied for this purpose, bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a semiconductor with a band gap of 2.4 eV and, therefore, can be activated under visible radiation. Some studies have reported its photocatalytic activity, while low, mainly due to the rapid recombination of the pair electron/hole. In this sense, heterostructures between semiconductors exhibit a greater separation of charge carriers and consequently an increase in the photocatalytic activity when compared to the pristine constituent phases. This project proposes the synthesis and evaluation of photocatalytic properties of heterostructures between BiVO4:Bi2O3 and BiVO4:BIOX (X = Cl, Br, I). The synthesis will be performed and optimized by Oxidant Peroxide Method (OPM) with crystallization under hydrothermal conditions. The morphological and structural characterization of heterostructures will be performed by standard techniques (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, surface area, SEM) and advanced techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution (HRTEM). Degradation of organic pollutants (pesticides and dyes) under visible light will be used as probe to check and compare the photocatalytic potential of the heterostructures and the pristine phases. Detection measures of *OH radicals and holes formed in the valence band of the semiconductor will be performed for a better understanding about the mechanism of degradation of organic pollutants.

Scientific publications

(16)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CATTO, ARIADNE C.; FERRER, MATEUS M.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; MASTELARO, VALMOR R.; ANDRES, JUAN; DA SILVA, LUIS F.; LONGO, ELSON; AVANSI JR, WALDIR. The role of counter-ions in crystal morphology, surface structure and photocatalytic activity of ZnO crystals grown onto a substrate. Applied Surface Science, v. 529, NOV 1 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; FERREIRA, DEBORA C.; RIBEIRO, CAUE. ZnO:ZnWO4 heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic activity for pollutant degradation in liquid and gas phases. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, v. 797, p. 1299-1309, AUG 15 2019. Web of Science Citations: 1.

ROMERO T. BUENO; OSMANDO F. LOPES; KELE T. G. CARVALHO; CAUE RIBEIRO; HENRIQUE A. J. L. MOURÃO. Semicondutores heteroestruturados: uma abordagem sobre os principais desafios para a obtenção e aplicação em processos fotoquímicos ambientais e energéticos. Química Nova, v. 42, n. 6, p. 661-675, Jun. 2019.

LOPES, OSMANDO F.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; MILORI, DEBORA M. B.; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Insights into the photocatalytic performance of Bi2O2CO3/BiVO4 heterostructures prepared by one-step hydrothermal method. RSC ADVANCES, v. 8, n. 20, p. 10889-10897, 2018. Web of Science Citations: 6.

DA SILVA, GELSON T. S. T.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; RIBEIRO, CAUE. g-C3N4/Nb2O5 heterostructures tailored by sonochemical synthesis: Enhanced photocatalytic performance in oxidation of emerging pollutants driven by visible radiation. APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL, v. 216, p. 70-79, NOV 5 2017. Web of Science Citations: 35.

DA SILVA, GELSON T. S. T.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; GOMES, ELIZIANA S.; MALAGUTTI, ANDREA R.; MASTELARO, VALMOR R.; RIBEIRO, CAUE; MOURAO, HENRIQUE A. J. L. Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles Assisted by N Sources and their Application in the Photodegradation of Organic Contaminants. CHEMCATCHEM, v. 9, n. 19, p. 3795-3804, OCT 10 2017. Web of Science Citations: 13.

MOURAO, HENRIQUE A. J. L.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; PIRES, MANOEL J. M.; SOUZA, SOLANGE; RIBEIRO, CAUE; MASTELARO, VALMOR R. SrTi1-yFeyO3 samples obtained by hydrothermal method: The effect of the amount of Fe on structural and photocatalytic properties. MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING, v. 68, p. 140-146, SEP 2017. Web of Science Citations: 4.

LOPES, OSMANDO F.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Growth of BiVO4 Nanoparticles on a Bi2O3 Surface: Effect of Heterojunction Formation on Visible Irradiation-Driven Catalytic Performance. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, v. 121, n. 25, p. 13747-13756, JUN 29 2017. Web of Science Citations: 14.

NOGUEIRA, ANDRE E.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; NETO, ARQUIMINIO B. S.; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Enhanced Cr(VI) photoreduction in aqueous solution using Nb2O5/CuO heterostructures under UV and visible irradiation. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, v. 312, p. 220-227, MAR 15 2017. Web of Science Citations: 21.

CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; NOGUEIRA, ANDRE E.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; BYZYNSKI, GABRIELA; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Synthesis of g-C3N4/Nb2O5 heterostructures and their application in the removal of organic pollutants under visible and ultraviolet irradiation. CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL, v. 43, n. 4, p. 3521-3530, MAR 2017. Web of Science Citations: 18.

LOPES, OSMANDO F.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; NOGUEIRA, ANDRE E.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Controlled synthesis of BiVO4 photocatalysts: Evidence of the role of heterojunctions in their catalytic performance driven by visible-light. APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL, v. 188, p. 87-97, JUL 5 2016. Web of Science Citations: 67.

DA SILVA, LUIS F.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; DE MENDONCA, VAGNER R.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; LONGO, ELSON; RIBEIRO, CAUE; MASTELARO, VALMOR R. An Understanding of the Photocatalytic Properties and Pollutant Degradation Mechanism of SrTiO3 Nanoparticles. Photochemistry and Photobiology, v. 92, n. 3, p. 371-378, MAY-JUN 2016. Web of Science Citations: 10.

DA SILVA, LUIS F.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; CATTO, ARIADNE C.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; BERNARDI, MARIA I. B.; LI, MAXIMO SIU; RIBEIRO, CAUE; LONGO, ELSON. Hierarchical growth of ZnO nanorods over SnO2 seed layer: insights into electronic properties from photocatalytic activity. RSC ADVANCES, v. 6, n. 3, p. 2112-2118, 2016. Web of Science Citations: 14.

CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; FIDELIS, SUZANE C.; LOPES, OSMANDO F.; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Effect of processing variables on the photocatalytic properties of ZnO thin films prepared using the polymeric precursor method. CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL, v. 41, n. 9, A, p. 10587-10594, NOV 2015. Web of Science Citations: 10.

LOPES, OSMANDO F.; CARVALHO, KELE T. G.; MACEDO, GABRIEL K.; DE MENDONCA, VAGNER R.; AVANSI, JR., WALDIR; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Synthesis of BiVO4 via oxidant peroxo-method: insights into the photocatalytic performance and degradation mechanism of pollutants. NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, v. 39, n. 8, p. 6231-6237, 2015. Web of Science Citations: 25.

LOPES, OSMANDO F.; DE MENDONCA, VAGNER R.; UMAR, AHMAD; CHUAHAN, MOHINDER S.; KUMAR, RAMESH; CHAUHAN, SUVARCHA; RIBEIRO, CAUE. Zinc hydroxide/oxide and zinc hydroxy stannate photocatalysts as potential scaffolds for environmental remediation. NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, v. 39, n. 6, p. 4624-4630, 2015. Web of Science Citations: 11.