Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activities of Eu3+-doped BiVO4 catalysts

An improved sol-gel technique was utilized to synthesize the Eu3+-doped bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) photocatalysts, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic properties and structural composition of the catalyst were rigorously examined by XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, and DRS. The XRD analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of Eu3+ into the host lattice of BiVO4. The photocatalytic measurements demonstrated that Eu3+ doping significantly enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of the BiVO4, with the 7% Eu3+-doped BiVO4 sample exhibiting the highest photocatalytic activity. The boosting of photocatalytic efficiency can be caused by the additional oxygen vacancies, narrower band gap, and decreased rate of photoexcited electron-hole pair recombination caused by Eu3+ doping.