Effect of Laser Energy Density on Photophysical and Photocatalytic Properties of BiVO₄ Single‐Crystal Thin Film

The single‐crystal thin films are more conducive to an in‐depth understanding of the intrinsic mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction. Herein, the BiVO 4 single‐crystal thin‐films are prepared on the (001)‐oriented yttrium‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ (001)) substrates using pulsed laser deposition at a different laser energy density of 42–102 mJ cm −2 . The results of X‐Ray diffraction reveal that the samples all have a monoclinic scheelite structure and grow epitaxially along the b‐axis orientation. With the increase in laser power density, the peak positions of Bi 4f, V 2p, and O 1s in the results of the X‐Ray photoelectron spectroscopy shift toward higher binding energies, and the visible light absorption ability of BiVO 4 films also weakens. The BiVO 4 film at a laser energy density of 42 mJ cm −2 exhibits high photocatalytic activity and good stability in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The trapping experiments also prove that holes (h + ) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are the main active species.