Bismuth vanadate (BiVO) is a well-known photocatalyst due to its lower bandgap (E) and visible electromagnetic light absorption capacity. Herein, we reported the pulse ultra-sonochemical assisted hydrothermal approach to synthesize S-BiVO. For the comparison purpose, H-BiVO is also synthesized via conventional hydrothermal approach. The surface morphology of S-BiVO through scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicates condensed microarrays (MAs) having pseudo-flower shapes. The energy dispersive X-rays (EDX) spectrum also confirmed the elemental percent composition of Bi, V and O in BiVO. X-rays diffraction (XRD) pattern further confirmed the monoclinic scheelite phase of S-BiVO. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed Bi-O and Bi-V-O vibrational bands at 1382 and 1630cm, respectively. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) indicated absorption edge at ∼515nm, corresponds to bandgap value (E) of 2.41eV, which is suitable range for water splitting applications. The photocurrent density from water splitting under artificial 1 SUN visible light source found at 60 and 50μA/cm for S-BiVO and H-BiVO, respectively. The stability test through chronoamperometry showed that S-BiVO was more stable than H-BiVO. It can be depicted from the growth mechanism that ultrasonication played a definite role in the overall synthesis of pseudo-flower shaped S-BiVO MAs.
The future challenges associated with the shortage of fossil fuels and their current environmental impacts intrigued the researchers to look for alternative ways of generating green energy. Solar‐driven water splitting into oxygen and hydrogen is one of those advanced strategies. Researchers have studied various semiconductor materials to achieve potential results. However, it encountered multiple challenges such as high cost, low photostability and efficiency, and required multistep modifications. The conjugated polymers (CPs) have emerged as promising alternatives for conventional inorganic semiconductors. The CPs offer low cost, sufficient light absorption efficiency, excellent photo and chemical stability, and molecular optoelectronic tunable characteristics. Furthermore, organic CPs also present higher flexibility to tune the basic framework of the backbone of the polymers, amendments in the sidechain to incorporate desired functionalities, and much‐needed porosity to serve better for photocatalytic applications. This review article summarizes the recent advancements made in visible‐light‐driven water splitting covering the aspects of synthetic strategies and experimental parameters employed for water splitting reactions with special emphasis on conjugated polymers such as linear CPs, planarized CPs, graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and conjugated polymer‐based nanocomposites (CPNCs). The current challenges and future prospects have also been described briefly.
Among several anions, iodide (I−) ions play a crucial role in human biological activities. In it's molecular form (I2), iodine is utilized for several industrial applications such as syntheses of medicines, fabric dyes, food additives, solar cell electrolytes, catalysts, and agrochemicals. The excess or deficiency of I− ions in the human body and environmental samples have certain consequences. Therefore, the selective and sensitive detection of I− ions in the human body and environment is vital for monitoring their overall profile. Amongst various analytical techniques for the estimation of I− ions, optical–chemical sensing possesses the merits of high sensitivity, selectivity, and utilizing the least amount of sensing materials. The distinctive aims of this manuscript are (i) To comprehensively review the development of optical chemical sensors (fluorescent & colorimetric) reported between 2001–2021 using organic fluorescent molecules, supramolecular materials, conjugated polymers, and metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). (ii) To illustrate the design and synthetic strategies to create specific binding and high affinity of I− ions which could help minimize negative consequences associated with its large size and high polarizability. (iii) The challenges associated with sensitivity and selectivity of I− ions in aqueous and real samples. The probable future aspects concerning the optical chemical detection of I− ions have also been discussed in detail.
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