EDTA-2Na assisted facile synthesis of monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO4) and m-BiVO4/rGO as a highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst

An efficient facile synthesis method for BiVO4/reduced graphene oxide (BiVO4/rGO) photocatalyst by a one-pot hydrothermal process was first developed. Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na) rather than nitrate was used to provide an acidic environment to prevent the hydrolysis of Bi3+, which could improve the safety of the process. The photocatalytic activities could be remarkably enhanced by loading BiVO4 on rGO. The degradation efficiency for Rhodamine B (rhB) could reach 98.3% in 180 min. This work offered an ideal method for stable, efficient, and recyclable photocatalysts suitable for the visible light range.