Abstract
This study investigated the applications of bismuth vanadate – based heterojunctions as photoanodes for the photoelectrochemical degradation of some selected organic pollutants. The materials were prepared using various synthetic routes including hydrothermal, controlled calcination, electrodeposition and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Structural, morphological and optical characterisations were done using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical characterisation of prepared anodic materials were done using cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), chronoamperometry measurements and Mott Schottky analysis. The prepared anodes were then employed in photoelectrochemical water treatment applications...
Ph.D. (Chemistry)