A novel Ag3PO4–AgBr–PTh composite loaded on Na2SiO3 was synthesized for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by photodegrading rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The main reactive species and possible photocatalytic mechanism were also discussed. As a result, the Ag3PO4–AgBr–PTh composite loaded on Na2SiO3 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for RhB compared with Ag3PO4 under visible-light irradiation. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the hole (h+) and superoxide radical (•O2−) were the major reactive species involving in the RhB degradation. PTh played vital role for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4–AgBr–PTh–Na2SiO3 composite, which offered an electron transfer expressway and accelerated the transfer of the electrons from the CB of AgBr into Ag3PO4. This work could provide a new perspective for the synthesis of Ag3PO4-based composites and the improvement of photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4.
Yi Z, Ye J, Kikugawa N, et al.. An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation. Nature Materials, 2010, 9(7): 559–564 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2780
pmid: 20526323
2
Tang C, Liu E, Wan J, et al.. Co3O4 nanoparticles decorated Ag3PO4 tetrapods as an efficient visible-light-driven heterojunction photocatalyst. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2016, 181: 707–715 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.08.045
3
Xu Y S, Zhang W D. Monodispersed Ag3PO4 nanocrystals loaded on the surface of spherical Bi2MoO6 with enhanced photocatalytic performance. Dalton Transactions, 2013, 42(4): 1094–1101 https://doi.org/10.1039/C2DT31634J
pmid: 23131725
4
Yao W, Zhang B, Huang C, et al.. Synthesis and characterization of high efficiency and stable Ag3PO4/TiO2 visible light photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B solutions. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2012, 22: 4050–4055
5
Bi Y, Ouyang S, Cao J, et al.. Facile synthesis of rhombic dodecahedral AgX/Ag3PO4 (X= Cl, Br, I) heterocrystals with enhanced photocatalytic properties and stabilities. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2011, 13(21): 10071–10075 https://doi.org/10.1039/c1cp20488b
pmid: 21519619
6
Dong P, Wang Y, Cao B, et al.. Ag3PO4/reduced graphite oxide sheets nanocomposites with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity and stability. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2013, 132‒133(9): 45–53 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2012.11.022
7
Xu H, Wang C, Song Y, et al.. CNT/Ag3PO4 composites with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity and stability. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2014, 241: 35–42 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2013.11.065
8
Yu H, Yu Y, Liu J, et al.. Space-confined growth of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles within WS2 sheets: Ag3PO4/WS2 composites as visible-light-driven photocatalysts for decomposing dyes. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2015, 3(38): 19439–19444 https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA04422G
9
Patil S S, Tamboli M S, Deonikar V G, et al.. Magnetically separable Ag3PO4/NiFe2O4 composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Dalton Transactions, 2015, 44(47): 20426–20434 https://doi.org/10.1039/C5DT03173G
pmid: 26508302
10
Guan X, Guo L. Cocatalytic effect of SrTiO3 on Ag3PO4 toward enhanced photocatalytic water oxidation. ACS Catalysis, 2014, 4(9): 3020–3026 https://doi.org/10.1021/cs5005079
11
Chen Z, Bing F, Liu Q, et al.. Novel Z-scheme visible-light-driven Ag3PO4/Ag/SiC photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2015, 3(8): 4652–4658 https://doi.org/10.1039/C4TA06530A
12
Yang X, Qin J, Jiang Y, et al.. Fabrication of P25/Ag3PO4/graphene oxide heterostructures for enhanced solar photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and bacteria. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 166‒167: 231–240 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.11.028
13
Yang X, Qin J, Jiang Y, et al.. Bifunctional TiO2/Ag3PO4/graphene composites with superior visible light photocatalytic performance and synergistic inactivation of bacteria. RSC Advances, 2014, 4(36): 18627–18636 https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RA01559B
14
Kumar S, Surendar T, Baruah A, et al.. Synthesis of a novel and stable g-C3N4‒Ag3PO4 hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst and study of the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2013, 1(17): 5333–5340 https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta00186e
15
Yang X, Chen Z, Xu J, et al.. Tuning the morphology of g-C3N4 for improvement of Z-scheme photocatalytic water oxidation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015, 7(28): 15285–15293 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5b02649
pmid: 26118320
16
Yang X, Tang H, Xu J, et al.. Silver phosphate/graphitic carbon nitride as an efficient photocatalytic tandem system for oxygen evolution. ChemSusChem, 2015, 8(8): 1350–1358 https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201403168
pmid: 25693743
17
Bu Y, Chen Z. Role of polyaniline on the photocatalytic degradation and stability performance of the polyaniline/silver/silver phosphate composite under visible light. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6(20): 17589–17598 https://doi.org/10.1021/am503578s
pmid: 25243723
18
Liang H, Li X. Visible-induced photocatalytic reactivity of polymer-sensitized titania nanotube films. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2009, 86(1‒2): 8–17 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2008.07.015
19
Wang Y, Chu W, Wang S, et al.. Simple synthesis and photoelectrochemical characterizations of polythiophene/Pd/TiO2 composite microspheres. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6(22): 20197–20204 https://doi.org/10.1021/am505720a
pmid: 25380397
20
Lv M, Yang H, Xu Y, et al.. Improving the visible light photocatalytic activities of Bi25FeO40/MIL-101/PTH via polythiophene wrapping. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2015, 3(2): 1003–1008 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2014.11.009
21
Zhang F, Shi Y, Zhao Z, et al.. Influence of semiconductor/insulator/ semiconductor structure on the photo-catalytic activity of Fe3O4/SiO2/polythiophene core/shell submicron composite. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2014, 150: 472–478 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2013.12.049
22
Yang Z, Huang G, Huang W, et al.. Novel Ag3PO4/CeO2 composite with high efficiency and stability for photocatalytic applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2014, 2(6): 1750–1756 https://doi.org/10.1039/C3TA14286H
23
Zhu Y, Xu S, Jiang L, et al.. Synthesis and characterization of polythiophene/titanium dioxide composites. Reactive & Functional Polymers, 2008, 68(10): 1492–1498 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2008.07.008
24
Ma J, Liu Q, Zhu L, et al.. Visible light photocatalytic activity enhancement of Ag3PO4 dispersed on exfoliated bentonite for degradation of rhodamine B. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2016, 182: 26–32 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.09.004
25
Dong P, Wang Y, Li H, et al.. Shape-controllable synthesis and morphology-dependent photocatalytic properties of Ag3PO4 crystals. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2013, 1(15): 4651–4656 https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta00130j
26
Liu L, Qi Y, Lu J, et al.. A stable Ag3PO4@g-C3N4 hybrid core@shell composite with enhanced visible light photocatalytic degradation. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2016, 183: 133–141 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.10.035
27
Yu X, Liu S, Yu J. Superparamagnetic γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@TiO2 composite microspheres with superior photocatalytic properties. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2011, 104(1‒2): 12–20 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2011.03.008
28
Wang L, Chai Y, Ren J, et al.. Ag3PO4 nanoparticles loaded on 3D flower-like spherical MoS2: a highly efficient hierarchical heterojunction photocatalyst. Dalton Transactions, 2015, 44(33): 14625–14634 https://doi.org/10.1039/C5DT01961C
pmid: 26212501
29
Cao J, Luo B, Lin H, et al.. Visible light photocatalytic activity enhancement and mechanism of AgBr/Ag3PO4 hybrids for degradation of methyl orange. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2012, 217‒218: 107–115 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.03.002
pmid: 22464754
30
Yan T, Guan W, Li W, et al.. Ag3PO4 photocatalysts loaded on uniform SiO2 supports for efficient degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. RSC Advances, 2014, 4(70): 37095–37099 https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RA06135G
31
Zheng B, Wang X, Liu C, et al.. High-efficiently visible light- responsive photocatalysts: Ag3PO4 tetrahedral microcrystals with exposed {111} facets of high surface energy. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2013, 1(40): 12635–12640 https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta12946b
32
Yang X, Cui H, Li Y, et al.. Fabrication of Ag3PO4‒graphene composites with highly efficient and stable visible light photocatalytic performance. ACS Catalysis, 2013, 3(3): 363–369 https://doi.org/10.1021/cs3008126
33
Wang W S, Du H, Wang R X, et al.. Heterostructured Ag3PO4/AgBr/Ag plasmonic photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability under visible light. Nanoscale, 2013, 5(8): 3315–3321 https://doi.org/10.1039/c3nr00191a
pmid: 23467421
34
Xiang Q, Lang D, Shen T, et al.. Graphene-modified nanosized Ag3PO4 photocatalysts for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 162: 196–203 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.06.051
35
Chandra M R, Rao T S, Pammi S V N, et al.. An enhanced visible light active rutile titania-copper/polythiophene nanohybrid material for the degradation of rhodamine B dye. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2015, 30: 672–681 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2014.09.009