Visible light-driven photocatalyst δ‑Bi 7 VO 13 nanoparticles synthesized by thermal plasma

Understanding the electronic structure of photocatalysts is crucial for enhancing their efficiency. In this study, we have successfully synthesized novel monoclinic bismuth vanadate (Bi 7 VO 13 ) nanoparticles using the gas phase condensation technique, with an average particle size of 40 nm. To investigate the crystallographic structure of the as-synthesized nanoparticles, we conducted X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments. Additionally, we employed advanced characterization techniques to provide a detailed analysis of the electronic structure of Bi 7 VO 13 nanoparticles. This study presents the first report on the electronic structure of Bi 7 VO 13 nanoparticles using the aforementioned spectroscopic methods. Remarkably, the investigation revealed that the valence band maximum (VB) and conduction band minimum (CB) are dominated by O 2p and V 3d states, respectively. Moreover, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) reveals splitting the V 3d conduction band state into a triplet d-manifold at the V L-edge and O K-edge. This splitting arises from the lattice distortion induced by lone pairs, which gives rise to a band gap of 2.28 eV. Under visible light irradiation, the Bi 7 VO 13 nanoparticles exhibit efficient visible light absorption, highlighting their potential for photocatalytic applications. Notably, our experiments demonstrated outstanding photodegradation properties of methylene blue, serving as a model effluent, further underscoring the photocatalytic progress of Bi 7 VO 13 nanoparticles. In conclusion, this research explains the functioning of Bi 7 VO 13 photocatalysts and opens the doors for utilizing their potential to generate a cleaner and brighter future.