Designing of YVO4 supported β-AgI nano-photocatalyst with improved stability

Abstract

Yttrium ortho vanadate supported β-silver iodide nanoparticles (AgI–YVO₄) were designed by a sono-chemical deposition method. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the as-prepared nanoparticles were investigated in detail. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed that AgI nano-sheets were attached to YVO₄ nano-grains. UV-vis-DRS results indicated that the visible light absorption ability of YVO₄ was promoted by AgI modification. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of rhodamine-B (Rh-B) dye under simulated solar light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of YVO₄ was strongly influenced by the concentration of AgI. The photocatalyst of 10% AgI–YVO₄ exhibited the best performance (98%) for the degradation of Rh-B. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity was well maintained even after four cycles. The results of this research work would be very useful for the degradation of harmful organic dyes in aqueous environments.