In situ growth of BiVO4–Bi2O3 p-n heterojunction nanocomposite via facile green combustion method: Efficient photocatalytic activity under visible light, photoluminescence and biosensing applications

The easiest and simplest green combustion approach was successfully used to synthesize the pn Heterojunction BiVO4/Bi2O3 nanocomposites (NCs) with efficient visible light activity. Different stoichiometric ratios of butea monosperma leaf powder were used as the green fuel. Using XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, UV–visible, and PL spectroscopy, the phase and surface structure, composition, and optical properties of synthesized NCs are characterised. In comparison to other ratios, it was found that the 1:1.5 ratio of BiVO4/Bi2O3 NCs exhibits good photocatalytic performance for the degradation of rose bengal dye. The outcome demonstrated that the formation of a p-n heterojunction between p-type Bi2O3 and n-type BiVO4 is responsible for the improved photocatalytic activity. It resulted from the separation of electron and hole pairs and the improvement of the interfacial charge transfer efficiency, both of which were made possible by the heterojunction. In addition, the BVO 15 photocatalyst exhibits good stability across 4 degradation cycles. The glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with BVO NCs for the electrochemical detection of dopamine (DA). By using CV and LSV, the electrochemical behaviour of the fabricated electrode was examined. The outcomes demonstrate that BVO NCs have strong electrocatalytic activity. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 33 μM. The current work is also a beneficial effort for developing new visible light photocatalysts with heterojunction architectures and biosensors.