Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has emerged as a promising photoactive material across various research fields, owing to its high visible-light absorption, optimal band-edge positions, and moderate stability. This study introduces a simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method for synthesizing distinctive nanostructured BiVO4 electrodes. By controlling the molarity of the precursor solution, three distinct BiVO4 morphologies—columnar, rod-like, and leaf-like structures—were successfully synthesized. This morphological control was achieved by modulating the precursor concentration, which influenced the nucleation rate and growth dynamics to form different structures. Growth-time-controlled experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of nucleation and growth kinetics on morphology. These experiments offer critical insights into how precise control over these processes can tailor the structural characteristics of the material. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization revealed that the nanostructured BiVO4 electrodes exhibited textured and faceted morphologies with a pronounced (121) texture. Furthermore, we analyzed the optical properties, electrochemical active surface area, and surface hydrophilicity of the nanostructured BiVO4 electrodes, which are crucial factors in determining their performance in energy applications. Notably, the leaf-BiVO4 exhibits photocurrent densities of 0.30 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE and 0.86 mA cm−2 at 1.6 VRHE under one sun illumination, surpassing those of the rod- and columnar-BiVO4. This CBD-based synthesis approach successfully fabricates nanostructured BiVO4 electrodes with diverse morphologies, advancing knowledge in the development of high-performance electrodes for energy conversion and sensor applications.
