The effect of doping IB metals (Cu, Ag, and Au) on the photocatalytic activity of monoclinic Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) was investigated by predicting their electronic and optical properties based on the first-principle calculation. For the Cu-doped system, the formation of shallow acceptor level will narrow the band gap and trap the electrons which may enhance the separation of photoinduced carriers. And the doping of Ag has little effect on the electronic structure. However, the doping of Au will introduce a deep localized impurity level which should serve as both charge traps and recombination centers, and hinder the separation of photo-induced carriers. With incorporation of Cu, the mobility of charge carriers is enhanced due to the smaller effective mass, but the Ag and Au doping would not improve the transfer of charges. In summary, only the doping of Cu has positive effect on improving the photocatalytic activity of monoclinic BiVO 4 .

In an effort to investigate the attenuation characteristics and site effects in eastern Guangdong, 659 strong-motion recordings received by 27 stations were selected for spectral analysis to separate path attenuation, site effects and source spectra. The path attenuation curves are generally close to the simplest form of distance decay described by R−0.5, and decays the slowest at a frequency of 4 Hz. We decomposed the path attenuation into a combination of geometric spreading and inelastic attenuation. The geometric spreading R−0.15 exhibits a slower distance decay at local distances, indicating that the seismic energy close to the epicenter is not easily dissipated. The quality factors were regressed as Qs(f) = 114.81f.922 in the frequency range .9–20 Hz, lower than those reported for the whole Guangdong region, indicating stronger anelastic attenuation in eastern Guangdong. The site responses in eastern Guangdong show a strong correlation with geological and geotechnical characterization. The stations located in the central mountains have higher predominant frequencies (>10 Hz) accompanied by smaller site amplifications. Larger site amplification is in the southeast coastal area (i.e., Shantou area), where the surface is covered with a thicker layer of soft soil and the predominant frequency of site is relatively low (∼2 Hz). The far-field earthquake will cause greater vibration and damage to this area.