Synthesis and characterization of environmentally friendly BiVO4 yellow pigment by non-hydrolytic sol-gel route

Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO 4 ) yellow pigments were synthesized by non-hydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG) route without any surfactants. The presence of Bi–O–V band in the sol and xerogel, indicates that the excellent atomic scale homogeneity could be reached. It is beneficial to achieve high purity m-BiVO 4 phase and submicron scale particles (738 nm) with homogenous distribution at low temperature (400 °C), resulting in a brilliant yellow hue ( b *  = 71.18, h ab  = 89.73). These pigments have better chromatic performance than previously reported and commercially available BiVO 4 yellow pigments. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of the pigment was tested in Mus musculus skin melanoma cells, and showed nontoxic for human cells, indicating its potential application in the high quality paints for automotive and architectural finishes.