All-solid-state Z-scheme BiVO4−Bi6O6(OH)3(NO3)3 heterostructure with prolonging electron-hole lifetime for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution

Abstract As a visible-light response photocatalyst, BiVO4 is widely used in photocatalytic oxygen evolution. In this study, a novel BiVO4−Bi6O6(OH)3(NO3)3 (BBN) heterostructure fabricates via a simple one-pot hydrothermal approach is certified to effectively restrain the recombination of carriers by efficient spatial charge separation. By employing BBN as a reductive-function photocatalyst, a solid-state Z-scheme is constructed to improve the photo-redox capacity of BiVO4 and hydrogen production is realized in the BiVO4−BBN heterostructure for the first time. The solid-state Z-scheme introduced in the BiVO4−BBN ensures the photoexcited carriers with the powerful redox capacity to participate in the photocatalytic reaction.