Preparation and Photocatalytic Properties of Visible-Light-Driven BiVO4/attapulgite Composite
A novel attapulgite clay-based composite (BiVO4/attapulgite) was successfully prepared as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye solution under visible light irradiation. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microanalysis by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results showed that monoclinic BiVO4particles were loaded successfully on to the surface of attapulgite fibers and were widely dispersed. The DRS spectrum reveals that the BiVO4/attapulgite composite had much stronger absorption in the visible light range of 420-800 nm. Correspondingly, the BiVO4/attapulgite composite showed significantly higher activity in degrading RhB solution under visible-light irradiation compared to that of pure BiVO4.