Electrospinning Preparation and Formation Mechanism of BiVO4/α, β‐Bi2O3 Nanofibers with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract Herein, the BiVO 4 / α, β ‐Bi 2 O 3 nanofibers with moderate amounts of BiVO 4 nanoparticles (1‐5 wt%) were successfully fabricated by combining electrospinning and hydrothermal method. The microstructure and properties of the prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, ultraviolet‐visible diffuse reflection, and photocurrent measurement. The results show that BiVO 4 had a substantial effect on the formation of β ‐Bi 2 O 3 and the structure of the nanofibers. From the photocatalytic test results, it can be inferred that the RhB degradation efficiencies of pure BiVO 4 and α ‐Bi 2 O 3 were lower than those of the composites considered in this study. The samples with a BiVO 4 content of 3 wt% displayed the best photocatalytic activity for RhB (the degradation efficiency of RhB and Tc was 96.1% and 77.1%, respectively) compared to that of other samples considered in this study. The reactive species in the photocatalytic process were also studied, and it was found that the O 2 • − play a leading role in this process. In addition, the two‐step formation mechanism and the carries transmission mechanism of the composite nanofibers were constructed. This work provides a valuable reference for future research and design of high‐performance photocatalysts.