Easy Synthesis of BiVO(4) for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

[Image: see text] Developing a photocatalyst system to generate hydrogen from water is a topic of great interest for fundamental and practical importance. In this study, we develop a new Z-scheme photocatalytic system for overall water splitting that consists of Rh/K(4)Nb(6)O(8) for H(2) evolution, Pt/BiVO(4) for O(2) evolution, and I(–)/IO(3)(–) for an electron mediator under UV light irradiation. The oxygen evolution photocatalyst BiVO(4) was prepared by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The method is fast and simple, as compared to conventional hydrothermal synthesis. The catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic water splitting is investigated in (i) aqueous AgNO(3) as sacrificial electron scavengers and (ii) a Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting system. The BiVO(4) photocatalysts prepared by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method not only showed a very high oxygen evolution rate (2622 μmol g(–1) h(–1)) of water splitting reaction in an aqueous AgNO(3) solution but also achieved a high H(2) evolution rate (340 μmol g(–1) h(–1)) and O(2) evolution rate (172 μmol g(–1) h(–1)) in a Z-scheme overall water splitting system.