Abstract
The unrestrained release of chromium from the industrial processes specifically from the leather industry has become a serious water quality challenge worldwide. Chromium in a higher oxidation state (VI) is readily soluble and highly toxic. Efforts have been made to mitigate Cr(VI) pollution by employing sustainable means. For this purpose, we constructed yttrium doped BiVO4/TiO2 heterojunction via a simple hydrothermal method and applied it for the photoreduction of toxic Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The structural, morphological and optical attributes were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, UV-Vis and PL. While testing, for the photoreduction of Cr(VI) into Cr(III), Y-BiVO4/TiO2 heterojunctions exhibit a fivefold improvement in performance relative to pristine BiVO4 and Y-BiVO4. In optimal conditions, the photocatalytic reduction ability of pure BiVO4 (22%) rose to approximate to 99.8% when the Y-BiVO4/TiO2 photocatalyst was used. Furthermore, the influence of light, catalyst loading, pH, and Cr(VI) concentration on the catalytic performance and removal efficiency was also determined to gauge the practical viability of this active heterojunction system. Almost no change in the photoreduction activity after five consecutive cycles confirmed the system is reusable a factor crucial for real-world application. Each component, such as yttrium, BiVO4, and TiO2 plays role in improved performance thereby generating synergy for efficient photoreduction of Cr(VI) in the Y-BiVO4/TiO2 heterojunction system.