Synthesis of the visible-light-driven Ag3VO4/Ag3PO4/Ag photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

A novel visible-light-driven Ag₃VO₄/Ag₃PO₄/Ag photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via an anion-exchange reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of prepared catalysts were evaluated by degradation of acid blue 92 (AB92) aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic results indicated that the synthesized Ag₃VO₄/Ag₃PO₄/Ag hybrid displays a significantly enhanced activity in degradation of acid blue 92 under visible light compared with pure Ag₃VO₄. The improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the efficient separation of photo-induced electrons and holes in the composite. A possible mechanism has been proposed for this improvement.