Research progress on preparation and photocatalytic properties of BiVO4/TiO2

The entire research work attempts to make a simple combing and summary of the composite of BiVO4 and TiO2 photocatalytic semiconductor materials in the past few decades. There has a sesquipedalian history in photocatalytic degradation and photocatalytic water splitting, with the in-depth understanding and research of BiVO4 and TiO2. It was provided that the photocatalytic activity of the composite material formed by the coupling of BiVO4 and TiO2 was many times higher than that of a pure BiVO4 or TiO2. This review encompasses several advancements made in research progress of BiVO4/TiO2 composite materials. In the paper of BiVO4/TiO2, BiVO4/TiO2 photocatalytic composite is introduced from three aspects. Firstly, the preparation process of BiVO4/TiO2 samples via variant preparation methods is introduced, which provides the guidelines for the future work in the field of the preparation of BiVO4, TiO2 or BiVO4/TiO2. Subsequently, the characteristics of BiVO4/TiO2 composite are systematically discussed, simultaneously the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4/TiO2 can increase in a prominent and growing photocatalysis field. Finally, the aggregate photocatalytic mechanism of BiVO4/TiO2 is depicted. It is expected that the correlated tests can theoretically explain the intrinsic mechanism of BiVO4/TiO2 or similar composite semiconductor photocatalytic materials to enhance photocatalytic efficiency. This review may benefit researchers and engineers in the arena of material for promoting and developing the application of composite semiconductor photocatalytic materials in the field of photocatalysis. The whole paper aims to comprehensively summarize and sort out the important physical and chemical knowledge of BiVO4/TiO2 composite in the past. What's more, problems and challenges on BiVO4/TiO2 composite materials are proposed, geared toward developing more advanced composite semiconductor photocatalysis, as well as to gain some new insights and point to some possible directions, to guide designing advanced photocatalysts. How to further improve the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4/TiO2 is still the core problem that we need to continue to solve. Looking forward to the future research on BiVO4/TiO2 composites in the field of photocatalysis, we can improve and perfect from the following some aspects. The photocatalytic activity of BiVO4/TiO2 or similar semiconductor composites is maximized as much as possible. Investigate the effect of BiVO4/TiO2 growth mode on its photocatalytic activity using different preparation methods; the relevant tests of the BiVO4/TiO2 energy band arrangement as well as its determination are still to be further investigated; the change of band arrangement of doped BiVO4/TiO2 composites is considered to enhance the photocatalytic activity; enhancing the conversion rate of BiVO4/TiO2 to light and inhibiting photogenerated electrons and hole recombination are the key to improve the photocatalytic activity.