Efficiently catalyzing photo-oxidation of water by surface engineering of bismuth vanadate with nickel molybdenum oxide coverages

Bismuth vanadate with suitable band edges is one of the efficient photocatalysts for water oxidation. Establishing heterojunction can improve electron diffusion lengths and photocatalytic ability of BiVO4. In this work, nickel molybdenum oxide (Ni–Mo–O) and BiVO4 heterojunction is established by the hydrothermal process with different nickel to molybdenum precursor ratios. The Ni–Mo–O/BiVO4 electrode is applied as photoanodes for water oxidation. The growth mechanism of Ni–Mo–O on BiVO4 surface is proposed. The Ni–Mo–O deposition amount is optimized regarding to light absorbance and charger transportation. The largest photocurrent density of 1.72 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE is obtained for the optimal NiMoO4/BiVO4 electrode (NM12) in the electrolyte without hole scavenger, while the pure BiVO4 electrode only shows a photocurrent density of 0.90 mA/cm2. The NM12 electrode even presented an impressive photocurrent density of 5.39 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE in the electrolyte with the hole scavenger, owing to the abundant active sites and higher light absorbance as well as the favorable synergistic effects from its suitable Ni to Mo ratio. The NM12 electrode also shows excellent long-term stability with the photocurrent retention of 83% after illumination for 6500 s. This work opens a blueprint for establishing a novel heterojunction with the adjustable metal ratio and coverage on BiVO4.