Spectroscopic Studies on Nano-Single Crystal BiVO4 Glass Ceramic as Dye Degradation for Wastewater Purification

Five bismuth vanadate glass samples and their corresponding glass-ceramics containing Bi2O3 ranging between 10-40 mol% were prepared by melting and controlled heat treatment, respectively. The prepared samples were investigated by XRD, FTIR, and TEM. Some specimens were also subjected to magnetization testing. The glass samples containing higher content of V(2)O(5)exhibited precipitation of BiVO4 phase as indicated by XRD. Controlled heat treatment of those samples led to the formation of nano-single crystals of BiVO4 glass-ceramic materials. With increasing Bi2O3 content, the crystallinity tendency is increases. For the glass-ceramic samples, FTIR spectra confirmed the transformation of the VO5 group into the VO4 group with increasing Bi2O3 percent. TEM images show agglomerated particles in the case of milled glass and rounded nano-crystals in the case of their glass-ceramic derivatives. The magnetic properties of the glass and its corresponding glass ceramic sample that contains 20 mol% Bi2O3 reveal obvious ferrimagnetism. Spectroscopic studies results of the prepared glasses and their glass ceramic derivatives as candidates for dye degradation for methyl green dye show that glass samples are inactive towards the adsorption of dye; while the behavior of glass ceramic samples towards dye degradation proceeds as follows: the maximum amount adsorbed increases in the order of 10 % < 15% < 20 % mol% Bi2O3 containing samples then decreases from 30 % to 40 % mol% Bi2O3.