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Nanosized particles of strontium bismuth vanadate SrBi3VO8 were prepared via the Pechini method on the base of citrate‐complexation route. The samples were characterized using X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectra (EDX), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS), and UV–vis absorption spectrum. This bismuth‐containing vanadate presents an efficient absorption in the UV–visible light wavelength region with a narrow band‐gap energy of 2.36 eV and an indirect allowed electronic transition. It is well‐known that hybridization of the 6s and 6p orbitals of Bi3+ could result in lone electron pair and yield some very interesting properties. The photocatalytic activities of SrBi3VO8 nanoparticles were evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation in air atmosphere. These results indicate that SrBi3VO8 could be a potential photocatalyst driven by visible light. To understand the charge generation and separation process, the luminescence as well as the decay lifetimes was investigated in the same samples for photocatalysis.

Polycrystalline Cs5V3O10 micro-particles were synthesized by the solid-state reaction. The vanadate shows intrinsic selfactivated luminescence of a single broad band with a peak at 520 nm, extending from about 400 nm to 720 nm. This asymmetric band is decomposed to two bands due to the electronic transitions from the 3 T1 and 3 T2 excited states to 1 A1 ground state in [VO4] 3centers. Same emission band was obtained from micro-and nano-particles. It is suggested that the broadening of the emission band arises from single [VO4] 3molecule. The emission and decay curve profiles indicate that the emission is due to not different kinds of [VO4] 3centers but only one kind of [VO4] 3center. When temperature is increased from 10 K to 450 K, the emission intensity increases below 150 K and decreases above 150 K, and unusual blue shift is observed. The observed temperature dependence is understood by relaxation processes of the emitting 3 T1 and 3 T2states including the thermal feeding by the lower-energy 3 T1 state to the higher-energy 3 T2 state.