Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation Efficiency Enabled by Flower-like BiVO4 Microspheres Constituted of Nanosheets

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has been regarded as a valuable semiconductor material for photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants thanks to its narrow band gap and environmental friendliness. However, its practical application is restricted by its small specific surface area, severe photo-generated carrier recombination, and low photocatalytic degradation efficiency. Herein, a microemulsion method followed by a hydrothermal process is developed to prepare a flower-like BiVO4 microsphere constituted of thin nanosheets. Because of increase in reactive sites, facilitation of photo-induced carrier transfer, and generation of high-activity superoxygen (•O2−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the flower-like BiVO4 microparticle (synthesized with a hydrothermal duration of 6 h) for Congo red reaches 86.2% with a high degradation rate constant of 0.0134 min−1. Moreover, the cyclic degradation test proves the reasonable photocatalytic stability of the flower-like BiVO4 microparticle, showing its great application potential for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.