• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2021

Pure and Sm ion doped BiVO₄ catalysts were synthesized using a conventional hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, DRS, SEM, and PL. We also examined the activity of these materials on the photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The doping of Sm ion into BiVO₄ catalyst changed the ms-BiVO₄ crystal structure into the tz-BiVO₄ crystal structure in the low synthesis temperature. Light absorption analysis using DRS showed that all the catalysts displayed strong absorption in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum regardless of Sm ion doping. In addition, an amorphous morphology was shown in the pure BiVO₄ catalyst, but the morphology of the BiVO₄ catalyst doped with Sm ion was changed into an ellipse shape and also the particle size decreased. In the photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B, Sm ion doped BiVO₄ catalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than the pure BiVO₄ catalyst. In addition, the Sm3-BVO catalyst doped with 3% Sm ion showed the highest photocatalytic activity, as well as the highest formation rate of OH radicals (•OH) and the highest PL peak. This result suggests that the formation rate of OH radicals produced in the interface between the photocatalyst and water is well correlated with the photocatalytic activity.