Photosensitization of Fe3O4/ZnO by AgBr and Ag3PO4 to fabricate novel magnetically recoverable nanocomposites with significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation

In this paper, novel quaternary Fe₃O₄/ZnO/AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ nanocomposites with different weight percents of Ag₃PO₄ were successfully prepared through refluxing method at 96 °C. The as-prepared products were characterized with XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, UV-vis DRS, FT-IR, PL, and VSM techniques to determine their phase structure, purity, morphology, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties. Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation indicated that the nanocomposite with 20% of Ag₃PO₄ has the best activity. Photocatalytic activity of this nanocomposite is nearly 68, 5.0, and 3.4-folds greater than those of the Fe₃O₄/ZnO, Fe₃O₄/ZnO/AgBr, and Fe₃O₄/ZnO/Ag₃PO₄ samples in degradation of rhodamine B, whereas 17, 6.7, and 2.8-folds greater in degradation of methylene blue, respectively. The activity enhancement was mainly ascribed to the enhanced visible-light absorption ability and formation of tandem n-n heterojunctions between counterparts of the nanocomposites, which facilitate the generation and separation of charge carriers. An additional advantage of these photocatalysts is magnetic recoverability using external magnetic field. In addition, using different scavengers, superoxide ion radicals were identified as the main oxidative species in the degradation reaction of rhodamine B. Finally, photocatalytic stability of the nanocomposite was evaluated for six cycles.     

Fe3O4/ZnO/CoWO4 nanocomposites: Novel magnetically separable visible-light-driven photocatalysts with enhanced activity in degradation of different dye pollutants

A series of novel magnetically separable Fe₃O₄/ZnO/CoWO₄ nanocomposites with different contents of CoWO₄ were fabricated using a facile refluxing method at 96 °C followed by a calcination step. The structure, purity, morphology, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, FT-IR, PL, and VSM techniques. Photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated by degradation of rhodamine B, methylene blue, methyl orange, and fuchsine under visible-light irradiation. The results showed remarkably enhanced activity for the Fe₃O₄/ZnO/CoWO₄ (30%) nanocomposite relative to the Fe₃O₄/ZnO and Fe₃O₄/CoWO₄ samples. The degradation rate constant of RhB over the optimal nanocomposite is nearly 24 and 5 times higher than those of the Fe₃O₄/ZnO and Fe₃O₄/CoWO₄ samples, respectively. The intensive absorption of visible light and separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs in the ternary nanocomposites were confirmed by UV–vis DRS and PL techniques, respectively. In addition, a plausible mechanism for separation of the electron–hole pairs based on p–n heterojunction was proposed.     

Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of an Inorganic–Organic Hybrid Photocatalyst Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>WO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/g-C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ composites with different Ag₂WO₄ concentration and calcination temperature were synthesized via a mixing and heating approach. Various techniques were used to investigate the characters of the as-prepared samples, such as thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The degradation of rhodamine B (20 ppm) under visible light was performed to investigate the photocatalytic activity of Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ composites. Results indicate that the Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ is actually Ag/Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ ternary system. 7.5 wt% Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ prepared at 300 °C presented the best photocatalytic performance in rhodamine B degradation. The degradation rate reaches 0.0679 min^?1, which is 3.25 times higher than the value of pure g-C₃N₄. The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergetic effect of Ag₂WO₄, g-C₃N₄ and metal Ag. Additionally, cycling experiments also proved that the Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst has good stability.     

Fabrication and characterization of CdS/BiVO4 nanocomposites with efficient visible light driven photocatalytic activities

Novel CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites were synthesized by simple solvothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and photoluminescence (PL). In the nanocomposites, CdS particles were deposited on the surface of the BiVO₄. The photocatalytic tests showed that the CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites possessed a higher rate for degradation of malachite green (MG) than the pure BiVO₄ under visible light irradiation. The 1.5-CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposite photocatalyst was found to degrade 98.3% of MG under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism of CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites was also discussed. The results showed that the nanocomposite construction between CdS and BiVO₄ played a very important role in their photocatalytic properties, which has the potential application in solving environmental pollution issues utilizing solar energy effectively.     

Ag nanoparticles loaded TiO2/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite: A visible-light-driven photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability

A visible light active photocatalyst, Ag/TiO₂/MWCNT was synthesized by loading of Ag nanoparticles onto TiO₂/MWCNT nanocomposite. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO₂/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue dye under UV and visible light irradiation. Ag/TiO₂/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite exhibits (~9 times) higher photocatalytic activity than TiO₂/MWCNT and (~2 times) higher than Ag/TiO₂ binary nanocomposites under visible light irradiation. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect between Ag nanoparticles and MWCNT, which enhance the charge separation efficiency by Schottky barrier formation at Ag/TiO₂ interface and role of MWCNT as an electron reservoir. Effect of different scavengers on the degradation of methylene blue dye in the presence of catalyst has been investigated to find the role of photogenerated electrons and holes. Simultaneously, the Ag/TiO₂/MWCNT shows excellent photocatalytic stability. This work highlights the importance of Ag/TiO₂/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite as highly efficient and stable visible-light-driven photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dyes.     

In-situ synthesis of visible-light-driven plasmonic Ag/AgCl-CdWO4 photocatalyst

Novel plasmonic photocatalyst of Ag/AgCl-CdWO₄ was successfully synthesized via an in situ loading and photoreduction process. The as-obtained Ag/AgCl-CdWO₄ samples were characterized by various analytical techniques. The Ag/AgCl-CdWO₄ nanocomposites present a remarkable visible-light photocatalytic activity. The optimal Ag/AgCl-CdWO₄ can completely degrade RhB, MB and MO within 30 min. Moreover, 95% of phenol can also be degraded within 90 min. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to two factors: the strong SPR of Ag NPs would improve the visible-light absorbance effectively. Simultaneously, the photo-generated electron–hole pairs can transfer and separate among the Ag/AgCl-CdWO₄ hybrid effectively.     

Novel Ag/YVO4 nanoparticles prepared by a hydrothermal method for photocatalytic degradation of methylene-blue dye

A hydrothermal method was used to prepare YVO₄ nanoparticles, and a photo-assisted deposition method was used to load Ag onto the YVO₄. The photocatalytic performances of the prepared photocatalysts were tested by the degradation of methylene-blue dye using visible-light irradiation. The results indicate that the Ag is well-dispersed within the YVO₄, and the surface area of the Ag/YVO₄ is smaller than that of the YVO₄ samples. The sample with 0.3 wt% Ag/YVO₄ has the highest activity for the removal of methylene-blue dye. The 0.3 wt% Ag/YVO₄ can be used five times without the loss of its photocatalytic activity.     

A novel approach for the synthesis of highly active ZnO/TiO2/Ag2O nanocomposite and its photocatalytic applications

The present work is focused on the preparation of hybrid ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic activity. The resultant samples are characterized by using XRD, SEM, EDX, HR-TEM, UV-DRS, BET and XPS techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the co-existence of wurtzite, anatase and cubic phases in ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite. The band gap energy value of the photocatalyst is 3.39 eV, which has been evidenced from UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye has been investigated by using UV–visible spectrophotometer. From the result, it has been concluded that ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite has proven to be an efficient photocatalyst under UV irradiation when compared to that of mono and binary oxide systems. Further, the possible photodegradation mechanism is proposed to support the enhancement of photocatalytic activity towards degradation of dyes.     

One step synthesis of Ag/Ag3PO4/BiPO4 double-heterostructured nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability

Heterogeneous Ag/Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ photocatalyst was synthesized by a one-step low temperature chemical bath method and exhibited better photocatalytic activity and better stability than those of individual Ag₃PO₄ or BiPO₄ nanoparticles for photodegradation of organic compounds (Rhodamine B) in the absence of electron accepters under visible light (λ>420 nm). The enhanced photocatalytic performance is mainly ascribed to the strong visible-light absorption originating from high efficient separations of photogenerated electron–hole pairs through Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ and Ag/Ag₃PO₄ heterostructures.     

Ag/αFe2O3-rGO novel ternary nanocomposites: Synthesis,characterization, and photocatalytic activity

In this research, novel ternary Ag/αFe₂O₃-rGO nanocomposites with various contents of GO were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. Ag/αFe₂O₃-rGO nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The results showed that hematite nanoparticles and Ag nanoparticles were well decorated on the graphene surface. Photocatalytic activity of Ag/αFe₂O₃-rGO ternary nanocomposites and pure Ag/αFe₂O₃ was investigated for photodegradation of Congo red dye solution as a model pollutant under UV light irradiation. The ternary nanocomposite with 1.8?mg/ml GO aqueous solution concentration shows higher degradation efficiency under UV light irradiation than the pure Ag/αFe₂O₃ and the nanocomposites with other GO aqueous solution concentrations. It was observed that the adsorption of the dyes on the nanocomposites surface is dependent on the graphene content due to a decrease in the recombination rate, particles size, and increase charge carrier transfer. The results show that the Ag/αFe₂O₃-rGO nanocomposite can be used as an excellent photocatalytic material for degradation of Congo red dye in wastewater. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed for degradation of Congo red dye.     

Novel magnetically separable g-C3N4/AgBr/Fe3O4 nanocomposites as visible-light-driven photocatalysts with highly enhanced activities

In this study, we report novel magnetically separable g-C₃N₄/AgBr/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites as visible-light-driven photocatalysts. The preparation method was simple, large-scale, and low-temperature and did not require any additives or post preparation treatments. The nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques. Photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated by degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation. The nanocomposite with 4:1 weight ratio of g-C₃N₄/AgBr to Fe₃O₄ exhibited superior activity in the degradation reaction. Activity of this nanocomposite was about 5.3 and 5-fold higher than those of g-C₃N₄, and g-C₃N₄/Fe₃O₄, respectively. Moreover, we investigated the influence of refluxing time, calcination temperature, and scavengers of reactive species on the degradation activity. Finally, the photocatalyst was magnetically separated, with high efficiency, from the treated solution after five successive cycles.     

Ag3PO4/Bi2WO6 hierarchical heterostructures with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol

The Ag₃PO₄/Bi₂WO₆ hierarchical heterostructures were prepared by a combination of hydrothermal technique and in situ precipitation method for the first time. The Ag₃PO₄/Bi₂WO₆ hierarchical heterostructures displayed enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity against phenol. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the effective separation of photogenerated carriers driven by the photoinduced potential difference generated at the Ag₃PO₄/Bi₂WO₆ heterojunction interface. Repetitive tests showed that the Ag₃PO₄/Bi₂WO₆ hierarchical heterostructures maintained high catalytic activity over several cycles, and it had a better regeneration capability under mild conditions.     

Ag/g-C3N4 photocatalysts: Microwave-assisted synthesis and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Ag/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts were synthesized by a rapid microwave-assisted polyol process. The characterization results showed monodisperse Ag nanoparticles with diameters of a few nanometers closely attached to the edges of g-C₃N₄. The presence of Ag nanoparticles in Ag/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts enhanced the visible-light absorption and suppressed the recombination of photogenerated electron/hole pairs. The Ag/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts exhibited the superior visible-light responsive photocatalytic activity for rhodamine B degradation. The mechanism of visible-light induced photocatalysis over Ag/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts was also discussed.     

Fabrication of direct Z-scheme FeIn2S4/Bi2WO6 hierarchical heterostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity for tetracycline hydrochloride photodagradation

A series of direct Z-scheme FeIn₂S₄/Bi₂WO₆ hierarchical heterostructures with intimate interface contacts were synthesized by in-situ growth route and characterized by systematical analyses. All as-prepared FeIn₂S₄/Bi₂WO₆ nanocomposites showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity towards photodegradation for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in comparison with individual FeIn₂S₄ and Bi₂WO₆. Meanwhile, the highest photocatalytic degradation activity can be achieved by modulating adding amount of FeIn₂S₄ in FeIn₂S₄/Bi₂WO₆ nanocomposites and the optimized component ratio of FeIn₂S₄ to Bi₂WO₆ is determined to be 10 wt%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to efficient separation between photogenerated holes and electrons based on the construction of direct Z-scheme system. The high photocatalytic stability of resultant 10 wt% FeIn₂S₄/Bi₂WO₆ nanocomposites was revealed through six successive recycling reactions. The main intermediate generated during TCH photodegradation was explored by HPLC-MS. Besides, the direct Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was confirmed by band position analysis, electron spin resonance (ESR) and active species capture experiment.     

From AgI/TiO2 to Ag/TiO2: effects of the annealing temperature on the compositions,porous nanostructures,and visible-light photocatalytic properties

AgI/TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂ porous nanostructures were synthesized using AgNO₃, KI, thioglycollic acid, and tetrabutyl orthotitanate as a precursor. AgI nanoparticles were used as seeds to initiate the nucleation of a precursor TiO₂ shell, and thioglycollic acid acted as a hydrolysis inhibitor and porosity promoter. The hybridized samples were annealed at different temperatures. Porous AgI/TiO₂ nanostructures were formed at low annealing temperatures (300 and 400 °C). At 600 °C, the porous Ag/TiO₂ nanostructures exhibited a plasmon resonance effect. The formation mechanism of the different porous nanostructures was also investigated. Methylene blue solutions were used as wastewater to evaluate the visible-light photocatalytic activity of the samples. The porous nanostructured photocatalyst exhibited substantially high visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methylene blue compared with pristine AgI and TiO₂ nanoparticles.     

UV-curable polyurethane acrylate–Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites with superior UV light antibacterial activity

Polyurethane acrylate (PUA)–Ag/TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized through in situ polymerization. The well-dispersed Ag/TiO₂ nanorods serve as photoinitiator. Meanwhile, the PUA–Ag/TiO₂ nanocomposite films exhibit superior activity toward the photocatalytic degradation of Escherichia coli under UV light. The excellent UV curing and antibacterial activities can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of Ag and TiO₂, which promotes the effective electron/hole separation and thus generates various reactive species. Thin films with these nanoparticles are more hydrophilic after UV illumination. And the antibacterial mechanism of the UV-curable PUA–Ag/TiO₂ nanocomposites was proposed.     

Synthesis of Ternary Heterostructure Semiconductor Photocatalyst and Its Photocatalytic Performance Under Visible Light Irradiation

Introducing magnetic metal onto semiconductor materials has been proven to be an attractive strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic activity in the visible region. In this work, ternary heterostructure magnetic semiconductor photocatalyst RGO/ZnFe₂O₄/Ag₂WO₄ was successfully synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method and was evaluated by photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The composition, structure, morphology, and optical absorption properties of the as-prepared photocatalyst were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and UV–Vis DRS, respectively. It was found that the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation was in the order of RGO/ZnFe₂O₄/Ag₂WO₄?>?ZnFe₂O₄?>?Ag₂WO₄?>?RGO/ZnFe₂O₄ and RGO/ZnFe₂O₄/Ag₂WO₄. The enhancement of photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the reduced graphene oxide sheets can function as an electron collector and transporter to lengthen the lifetime of the charge carriers, improving the whole photocatalytic activity. The reaction kinetics, possible degradation pathway, and catalyst stability, as well as the roles of ZnFe₂O₄ and Ag₂WO₄ in photoreaction, were comprehensively studied. The obtained results indicate that the prepared magnetic and effective catalytic materials could be potentially applied in environmental organic pollutants purification.

     

TiO2 nanofibers assembled on graphene-silver platform as a visible-light photo and bio-active nanostructure

The heterogeneous titanium oxide-reduced graphene oxide-silver (TiO₂/RGO/Ag) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by incorporation of two dimensional (2D) RGO nanosheets and spherical silver nanoparticles (NPs) into the 1D TiO₂ nanofibers. The novel TiO₂/RGO/Ag nanocomposites were synthesized by loading TiO₂ nanofibers, prepared via electrospinning technique, on the RGO/Ag platform. The resulting nanocomposites have been characterized using various techniques containing transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultra-violet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. Microscopic studies clearly verified the existence of TiO₂ nanofibers with Ag NPs on the surface of RGO sheet and formation of TiO₂/RGO/Ag nanocomposites. Moreover, the results of UV–vis spectroscopy demonstrated that TiO₂/RGO/Ag nanocomposites extended the light absorption spectrum toward the visible region and significantly enhanced the visible-light photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples on degradation of rhodamine B (Rh. B) as a model dye. It was found that, incorporation of 50 µl RGO/Ag into the TiO₂ nanofibers lead to a maximum photocatalytic performance. Also, the improvement of the inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria under visible-light irradiation was revealed by introduction of RGO/Ag into the TiO₂ matrix. The significant enhancement in the photo and bio-activity of TiO₂/RGO/Ag nanocomposites under visible-light irradiation can be ascribed to the RGO/Ag content by acting as electron traps in TiO₂ band gap.     

Fabrication of ZnO:Ag/GO composite thin films for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Zinc Oxide (ZnO), ZnO/GO (Graphene Oxide) and ZnO:Ag/GO nanocomposite thin films were deposited on glass substrates using a simple cost-effective automated jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. The ZnO:Ag/GO film exhibits superior photocatalytic activity when compared with ZnO and ZnO/GO films. The degradation rate constant values of pristine ZnO and ZnO/GO films are found to be 0.0143 and 0.0176 min⁻¹, respectively whereas that of ZnO:Ag/GO is 0.0567 min⁻¹. The possible mechanism involved in the enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO:Ag/GO films for the degradation of Methylene Blue dye is proposed with the help of structural, optical and photoluminescence studies. The powder XRD profile confirms the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the synthesized catalysts. The results of Raman, XPS and EDX studies confirm the presence of GO in the ZnO/GO and GO and Ag in the ZnO:Ag/GO films.     

Combination of sonochemical and freeze-drying methods for synthesis of graphene/Ag-doped TiO2 nanocomposite: A strategy to boost the photocatalytic performance via well distribution of nanoparticles between graphene sheets

Preparation of visible-light active photocatalysts for efficient degradation of pollutants from the industrial wastewater has received considerable attention in recent decades. The present study introduces a new sonochemical route for the preparation of graphene/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite for visible-light photocatalytic degradation of X6G (C.I. Reactive Yellow 2), a commonly used textile azo-dye. The obtained graphene/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite is extracted from the reaction solution by two drying methods: (1) conventional centrifuging and drying, and (2) freeze drying. Both of the dried samples are calcinated at 500 °C. The TEM images reveal that distribution of TiO₂/Ag nanoparticles within the graphene sheets in the freeze dried nanocomposite is better than the conventional dried sample. Furthermore, the freeze dried nanocomposite has higher photocatalytic activity than the other nanocomposite. In conventional centrifuging and drying method, some of the TiO₂/Ag nanoparticles are gradually pushed out from the graphene sheets during the drying process and graphene layers are stacked, therefore the dispersion effect of sonication is destroyed. However, in the freeze dried nanocomposite, because of the fast freezing of the sonicated sample by liquid N₂, the TiO₂/Ag nanoparticles are kept between the graphene sheets and calcination process attached and fixed them to the graphene, preserving the dispersion effect of sonication.