Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic antibiotic wastewater degradation of ultrathin BiVO₄ nanosheets via lattice distortion engineering

The development of highly active and stable monomeric photocatalysts is of paramount importance for photocatalytic environmental remediation. Here, ultrathin BiVO₄ nanosheets (BiVO₄ NS) with lattice distortion were prepared using different vanadate precursors. BiVO₄ NS (Na⁺) showed photocatalytic activity with a degradation rate of 83.57 %, significantly outperforming BiVO₄ NS (NH₄⁺) (52.12 %) and BiVO₄ nanoparticles (BiVO₄ NPs, 31.35 %). Experimental and characterization results revealed that the excellent photocatalytic performance of BiVO₄ NS (Na⁺) stems from the synergistic effect of two factors: stronger lattice distortion inducing an enhanced asymmetric electric field in the bulk, which boosts the driving force for photogenerated carrier transport and accelerates their separation and migration; and the ultrathin nanosheet structure shortening carrier transport distance and reducing recombination rate. Additionally, ESR and quenching experiments confirmed ¹O₂ as the main active species. Cycling tests and characterization before and after the reaction verified its good photocatalytic stability, showing great application potential. This study provides certain references for the preparation of high-activity monomeric photocatalysts and their application in organic wastewater treatment.