Effects of Structural Variation on the Photocatalytic Performance of Hydrothermally Synthesized BiVO 4

Abstract Highly crystalline monoclinic scheelite BiVO 4 powders are synthesized from aqueous Bi(NO 3 ) 3 and NH 4 VO 3 solutions over a wide range of pH by a hydrothermal process. BiVO 4 powders with various morphologies, surface textures, and grain shapes are selectively synthesized by adjusting the pH. The dependence of the Raman peak position and intensity on the synthesis conditions indicates that the symmetry distortions in the local structure of the synthesized BiVO 4 are affected by the preparation conditions. These variations in the local structure result in the modification of the electronic structure of BiVO 4 , which results in a blue‐shift in the UV‐vis absorption spectrum of hydrothermally…