Deposition of nanoporous BiVO4 thin-film photocatalyst by reactive magnetron sputtering: Effect of total pressure and substrate

Nanoporous BiVO4 thin films were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering in Ar and O2 atmosphere, on various substrates, employing pulsed direct-current (DC) power supplies applied to metallic Bi V targets for rapid deposition. The procedure was followed by a post-annealing treatment air crystallize the photoactive monoclinic scheelite structure. influence of total pressure substrate crystal structure, morphology, microstructure, optical photocatalytic properties investigated. crystallization structure fused silica starts at 250 °C are stable up 600 °C. morphology is rather dense, despite high (>2 Pa), with embedded nanopores. Among silica, one 4.5 Pa exhibits highest porosity (52%), lowest bandgap (2.44 eV) it shows activity degradation Rhodamine-B (26% after 7 h) under visible light irradiation. film silicon photoactivity (53% h). Lack hypsochromic shift UV−Vis temporal absorption spectra dominance chromophore cleavage pathway photodecomposition.