Leaf-inspired structural design of artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity for pollutant degradation

Inspired by the structure of natural leaves in the process of photosynthesis, in this work, artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ heterojunction was synthesized by one-step dipping-calcination method, using Chongyang wood seedling as template, and the molar ratio of BiVO₄ to InVO₄ was optimized. The unique leaf-liked structure of artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ was observed by FESEM observations. The photocatalytic activities of artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ were evaluated by the degradation of RhB. The results showed that the as-fabricated artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ heterojunction with appropriate In, Bi ratio has higher photocatalytic activity than artificial leaf BiVO₄ and artificial leaf InVO₄. Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic mechanism of artificial leaf BiVO₄/InVO₄ heterojunction was proposed. This strategy realizes the combination of bionic structure design and heterojunction construction, which enlightens people for the design of highly efficient photocatalytic materials.