BiVO<sub>4</sub> Hollow Nanoplates with Improved Photocatalytic Water Oxidation Efficiency

As an ideal visible light responsive photocatalyst, BiVO4 has attracted much attention recently. However, the performance of BiVO4 is decided not only by its crystal structures, but also by its shapes. In this work, monoclinic BiVO4 hollow nanoplates were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with the assistance of NH4Cl. The obtained products were composed of numerous uniform circular nanoplates with a diameter of ~5 µm and a thickness of ~500 nm. These nanoplates have an improved crystallinity and a (004) plane dominated XRD diffraction. Notably, hollow nanostructures generated in the center of these nanoplates. Thus, the BiVO4 hollow nanoplates exhibited enhanced photocatalytic water oxidation performance compared with that of the BiVO4 nanorods. This work may provide new insights into the nanostructured engineering of semiconductors as well as opportunities for the development of other photocatalytic materials. Keywords: BiVO4, hollow structures, nanoplates, photocatalysis, visible light, water oxidation.