A series of H3PW12O40/BiVO4 composite with different H3PW12O40 loadings were prepared using a hydrothermal and impregnation method. The prepared composites were characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM, XPS, and DRS techniques. The bandgap of the composite was narrower compared with the as-prepared pure BiVO4 . As a novel photocatalytic material, the photocatalytic performance of the H3PW12O40/BiVO4 composite was investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye solution under visible light irradiation and compared with that of pure BiVO4 . The results revealed that the introduction of H3PW12O40 could improve the photocatalytic performance and different concentrations of H3PW12O40 resulted in different photocatalytic activities. The highest activity was obtained by the sample with a loading HPW concentration of 10 wt%. The reason for the enhanced photocatalytic activities of H3PW12O40/BiVO4 samples was also discussed in this paper. Moreover, the H3PW12O40/BiVO4 composites retained the catalytic activity after four repeated experiments.
A novel fly ash cenospheres(FACs)-supported CeO2 composite(CeO2/FACs) was successfully synthesized by the modified pyrolysis process.The prepared composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and diffuse reflection spectra(DRS) techniques.XRD results indicated that the CeO2 film coated on cenospheres was a face-centered cubic structure.SEM images confirmed that the CeO2 film was relatively compact.XPS results showed that Ce was present as both Ce4+ and Ce3+ oxidation states in CeO2 film coated on FACs substrate.The bandgap of the composite was narrower compared with the pure CeO2.The as-prepared material exhibited good photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of methylene blue(MB) under visible light irradiation, and the first-order reaction rate constant(k) of 0.0028 min–1 for CeO2/FACs composite was higher than 0.0015 min–1 of pure CeO2.The fact that they floated on water meant that CeO2/FACs composites were easily recovered from water by filtration after the reaction.The recycling test revealed that the composites were quite stable during the MB photocatalytic decolorization.The CeO2/ FACs catalyst was therefore promising for practical use in the degradation of pollutants or water cleanup.
