Ag3VO4/ZnO nanocomposites with an n–n heterojunction as novel visible-light-driven photocatalysts with highly enhanced activity

The present work demonstrates the preparation of Ag₃VO₄/ZnO nanocomposites with an n–n heterojunction, as novel visible-light-driven photocatalysts, with different mole fractions of silver vanadate. The preparation method is facile one-pot, large-scale, and low-temperature and does not require any post preparation treatments. The microstructure, morphology, purity, and electronic properties of the as-prepared samples were studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence techniques. Photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was examined by degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation. It was found that mole fraction of silver vanadate has a considerable influence on the photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposite with 0.218 mol fraction of Ag₃VO₄ exhibited the superior activity relative to the other compositions. Compared with the pure ZnO and Ag₃VO₄, the nanocomposite exhibited 10.5 and 1.6-fold enhancement, respectively, in the degradation rate constant. In addition, influence of the refluxing time, calcination temperature, and scavengers of reactive species on the degradation activity was investigated in detail and the results were discussed. Moreover, the nanocomposite was found to be a reusable photocatalyst.     

Highly efficient photocatalytic treatment of mixed dyes wastewater via visible-light-driven AgI–Ag3PO4/MWCNTs

A high-performance photocatalyst of AgI–Ag₃PO₄/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was fabricated by chemical precipitation method using KI, K₂HPO₄ and AgNO₃ in the presence of MWCNTs. Its structure and physical properties were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorption spectra, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and photocurrent techniques. SEM, TEM and EDS analyses verified that AgI–Ag₃PO₄ is successfully loaded on MWCNTs. AgI–Ag₃PO₄/MWCNTs possess the absorption edge of red shift and small band gap energy, and could absorb more photons in the visible region. PL and photocurrent analyses illustrated that AgI–Ag₃PO₄/MWCNTs have the lowest emission peak intensity and the highest photoelectric current, compared with Ag₃PO₄, AgI and AgI–Ag₃PO₄. By using the photocatalytic degradation of mixed dyes wastewater of Orange II and ponceau 4R as a model reaction, the photocatalytic efficiencies of Ag₃PO₄, AgI, AgI–Ag₃PO₄ and AgI–Ag₃PO₄/MWCNTs were evaluated. The reaction results showed that AgI–Ag₃PO₄/MWCNTs have strong photocatalytic activity and excellent chemical stability in repeated and long-term applications. Therefore, the prepared AgI–Ag₃PO₄/MWCNTs could act as a high-performance catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of mixed dyes wastewater and also suggested the promising applications.     

Efficient charge separation of Ag2CO3/ZnO composites prepared by a facile precipitation approach and its dependence on loading content of Ag2CO3

To further improve the separation of photo-induced charge carriers, Ag₂CO₃ was employed to couple with ZnO. In this paper, Ag₂CO₃ was facilely deposited on the surface of ZnO through a precipitation method. The effects of loading content of Ag₂CO₃ on the charge separation of Ag₂CO₃/ZnO composites and their photocatalytic performance were studied by the means of surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). Coupling of ZnO with Ag₂CO₃ can greatly accelerate the charge separation under the simulated solar light irradiation, supported by the SPS results. The enhancement of charge separation rate and photocatalytic activities of Ag₂CO₃/ZnO composites notably depends on the loading content of Ag₂CO₃. With the optimal theoretical Ag/Zn molar ratio of 3/100, the composite exhibits the highest charge separation rate and photocatalytic activity under the simulated solar light illumination. To better comprehend the improved separation of the photo-induced charge carriers, a Z-scheme charge separation mechanism was proposed.     

Ag3PO4/BiPO4 p–n heterojunction nanocomposite prepared in room-temperature ionic liquid medium with improved photocatalytic activity

A visible-light-active Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposite with a p–n heterojunction structure was fabricated via a co-precipitation hydrothermal process using 2-hydroxylethylammonium formate (RTIL) as a room-temperature ionic liquid. The resulting catalysts were characterized by various techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts was evaluated by the photodegradation of phthalocyanine Reactive Blue 21 (RB21) under both visible and UV light irradiations. The results reveal that the heterojunction composite prepared in RTIL noticeably exhibited an improvement in both efficiency and rate of RB21 photodegradation in comparison with pure Ag₃PO₄ and BiPO₄. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ heterostructure prepared in RTIL is mainly ascribed to the internal electric field built at the heterojunction interface and efficient charge separation and transfer across the p–n junction. RTIL can also assist in decreasing the crystalline size, orderly distributing the particles, preventing the collapse of pore structures, and losing of composite surface area.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of Ag3PO4/AgCl hybrids

Ag3POa/AgC1 hybrids have been synthesized via a facile ion-exchange method. The hybrids exhibit an enhanced photocatalytie activity for degradation of rhodamine B （RhB） than the single Ag-3PO_4 or AgCl under a visible light irradiation. Such a behavior might be attributed to the increased number of high active sites and suitable energy band structure. The possible mechanism is also discussed.     

Synthesis of micro-nano Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 with different organic additives and its enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Several novel micro-nano Ag₃PO₄/ZnFe₂O₄ with excellent magnetic separation property and photocatalytic performance were successfully synthesized using different organic additives for the first time. In the composite, Ag₃PO₄ with flower-like, quadrangular prism and flake structures were obtained when the organic additive is hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), or DL-malic acid (DLMA), respectively, while the ZnFe₂O₄ showed uniform spherical structure. From the results of the photocatalytic activity analysis, the Ag₃PO₄/ZnFe₂O₄ gained with the organic additive of DDTC showed the highest photocatalytic capability for 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) degradation under visible light irradiation compared with those of CTAB and DLMA as the additives. Moreover, the composition of the composite seriously influences the photocatalytic activity, and when the mass ratio of Ag₃PO₄ and ZnFe₂O₄ in the Ag₃PO₄/ZnFe₂O₄ (DITCH) is 9:1, the apparent photo degradation rate constant of 2, 4-DC is 0.0155 min⁻¹, which is 5.74 times of ZnFe₂O₄ (0.0027 min⁻¹) and 1.89 times of Ag₃PO₄ (0.0082 min⁻¹). Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism of Ag₃PO₄/ZnFe₂O₄ was discussed based on the heterojunction energy-band theory and Z-Scheme theory in detail.     

Improvement of visible light photocatalytic activity over graphene oxide/CuInS2/ZnO nanocomposite synthesized by hydrothermal method

In this study, graphene oxide/CuInS₂/ZnO as a new photocatalyst with light absorption properties in the visible region were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal route. The UV–vis absorption spectra of the catalyst suggested that the graphene oxide/CuInS₂/ZnO is active under visible light. It was evaluated the photocatalytic activities of graphene oxide/CuInS₂/ZnO on the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation and was found that the graphene oxide/CuInS₂/ZnO obtained exhibit photocatalytic activity higher than single ZnO and CuInS₂/ZnO. Presence of graphene oxide with high specific surface area and great conductivity make it as a good support for CuInS₂/ZnO and improves removal efficiency for degradation of Rhodamine B.     

Preparation and optical and photocatalytic properties of Ce-doped ZnO microstructures by simple solution method

We prepared ZnO photocatalysts with different Ce-doping levels using a simple one-step solution method utilizing Zn(NO₃)₂, Ce(NO₃)₃, and NaOH as raw materials. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, ultraviolet–visible diffusion spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the products. Ce-doping greatly influences the size, morphology, and optical properties of the samples. The particle size of Ce/ZnO samples decreases and the specific surface area increases accordingly compared with that of pure ZnO. The optical absorption edge of the Ce/ZnO samples displays an obvious red shift. Moreover, the band gap energy decreases with the increasing Ce content. The Ce/ZnO samples exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance than pure ZnO. The 1% Ce/ZnO sample possesses excellent photocatalytic activity in decomposing methylene blue (MB). The MB degradation efficiency reaches 96.11% after 140 min of irradiation.     

Extremely High Silver Ionic Conductivity in Composites of Silver Halide (AgBr,AgI) and Mesoporous Alumina

The silver ionic conductivity in heterogeneous systems of AgBr:Al₂O₃ and AgI:Al₂O₃ is highly enhanced by utilizing mesoporous Al₂O₃ as the insulating phase. The highest Ag⁺ conductivity of 3.1 × 10^–3 Ω^–1 cm^–1 (at 25 °C) has been obtained for the AgI:Al₂O₃ composite with an Al₂O₃ volume fraction of 0.3. For AgBr:Al₂O₃, the enhancement of the conductivity is satisfactorily explained in the framework of the ideal space‐charge model, while in the case of AgI:Al₂O₃ stacking disorder is also considered to contribute to the ionic conductivity.     

Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide/maghemite nanocomposites: Influence of heat treatment on photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

In the current study, ultraviolet-active zinc oxide/maghemite (ZnO/γ-Fe₂O₃) nanocomposite catalysts were prepared and applied to the photodecomposition of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). 2,4-D is a herbicide that is widely used in agriculture and landscape turf management. The ZnO/γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite catalyst was prepared using a simple and efficient precipitation–thermal decomposition method. Comprehensive experimental studies and characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), TEM, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV-DRS) analyses were conducted to optimize the photoactivity of the nanoparticles. Interestingly, the synthesized ZnO/γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite catalyst exhibited a hexagonal phase with wurtzite structure, and their active surface area decreased with increasing calcination temperature. Based on the TEM micrographs, the appearance of the ZnO/γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite catalyst is nearly spherically shaped with a mean particle size in the range of 13–35 nm. The nano-ZnO/γ-Fe₂O₃ that underwent heat treatment at 450 °C exhibited better photodecomposition of 2,4-D, which was primarily due to the highest specific surface area and the smallest particle size among the synthesized samples.     

Photocatalytic and magnetic properties of Zn1−xCrxO nanocomposites prepared by a co-precipitation method

Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) capped Zn_1−xCr_xO (0.000001≤x≤0.1) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using a simple chemical co-precipitation technique. The synthesized nanostructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The structural characterization by XRD, TEM, FTIR and EDXRF confirmed the formation of wurtzite structure and incorporation of Cr in the ZnO lattice. The photocatalytic activities of as prepared nanocomposites were evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution under UV/sunlight light irradiation. The results demonstrated that Zn_1−xCr_xO (x=0.0001) nanocomposite effectively bleached out MB, showing as impressive photocatalytic enhancement over pure ZnO and ZnS nanoparticles. This enhanced photocatalytic activity at optimum concentration was attributed to increased absorption ability of light and high separation rate of photoinduced charge carriers on the nanocomposite photocatalyst surface. The VSM measurements showed significant ferromagnetism in Cr-doped ZnO nanostructures and the value of saturated magnetism was found to decrease with increase in Cr content.     

Highly efficient visible-light driven AgBr/Ag3PO4 hybrid photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Highly efficient visible-light-driven AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ hybrid photocatalysts with different mole ratios of AgBr were prepared via an in-situ anion-exchange method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) technique. Under visible light irradiation (>420 nm), the AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalysts displayed the higher photocatalytic activity than pure Ag₃PO₄ and AgBr for the decolorization of acid orange 7 (AO 7). Among the hybrid photocatalysts, AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ with 60% of AgBr exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of AO 7. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results revealed that AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ readily transformed to be Ag@AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ system while the photocatalytic activity of AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ remained after 5 recycling runs. In addition, the quenching effects of different scavengers displayed that the reactive h⁺ and O₂^∙− play the major role in the AO 7 decolorization. The photocatalytic activity enhancement of AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ hybrids can be ascribed to the efficient separation of electron–hole pairs through a Z-scheme system composed of Ag₃PO₄, Ag and AgBr, in which Ag nanoparticles act as the charge separation center.     

Au/AgI Dimeric Nanoparticles for Highly Selective and Sensitive Colorimetric Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide

The development of Au/AgI dimeric nanoparticles (NPs) is reported for highly selective colorimetric detection of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). The detection mechanism is designed by taking advantage of the chemical transformation of AgI to Ag₂S upon reacting with sulfide, which leads to a shift in the plasmonic band of the attached Au NPs. The plasmonic shift is accompanied by a color change of the solution from purplish red to blue and finally to light green depending on the concentration of sulfide, thus enables a naked‐eye readout and UV–vis quantitation of the sulfide exposure. The Au/AgI dimeric NPs are further immobilized in agarose gels to produce test strips, which can be used for both naked‐eye readout and quantitative detection of sulfide using UV–vis spectroscopy thanks to its transparency in the visible region. Compared to commercial Pb(Ac)₂ test papers, the agarose gel strip has superior performance for detecting sulfide in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and fidelity. The agarose gel is also capable of detecting gaseous H₂S at important concentration thresholds, suggesting its practicability in real life applications. The potential of agarose gels is further highlighted by its ability in the enrichment and colorimetric detection of gaseous H₂S released during cell cultivation.     

Construction of Built‐In Electric Field within Silver Phosphate Photocatalyst for Enhanced Removal of Recalcitrant Organic Pollutants

Semiconductor photocatalysis technology has aroused great interest in photocatalytic degradation, but it suffers from the drawbacks of fast electron‐hole recombination and unsatisfactory degradation efficiency. Herein, a novel photocatalyst Ag₃PO₄@NC with excellent photocatalytic activity is successfully prepared, characterized, and evaluated for the efficient removal of organic pollutants. After visible light irradiation for 5, 8, and 12 min, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of norfloxacin, diclofenac, and phenol on the composite catalyst reaches 100%, and the apparent rate constant of which is 19.2, 48.7, and 23.2 times than that of the pure Ag₃PO₄, respectively. The density functional theory calculation results indicate that there is a built‐in electric field from N‐doped carbon (NC) to Ag₃PO₄ at the interface of the composite catalyst. Driven by the electric field, the photogenerated electrons of Ag₃PO₄ can be readily transferred to the NC, leading to the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers and the significant improvement of the catalytic performance. The results of radical trapping experiments and electron spin resonance analysis show that photogenerated holes and O₂^? play an important role in the photodegradation process. This work provides a universal strategy of construction built‐in electric field through coupling with NC to improve the photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts.     

Piezoelectric‐Effect‐Enhanced Full‐Spectrum Photoelectrocatalysis in p–n Heterojunction

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers a promising strategy for converting solar energy to chemical fuels. Herein, a piezoelectric‐effect–enhanced full‐spectrum photoelectrocatalysis with multilayered coaxial titanium dioxide/barium titanate/silver oxide (TiO₂/BTO/Ag₂O) nanorod array as the photoanode is reported. The vertically grown nanorods ensure good electron conductivity, which enables fast transport of the photogenerated electrons. Significantly, the insertion of a piezoelectric BaTiO₃ (BTO) nanolayer at the p‐type Ag₂O and n‐type TiO₂ interface created a polar charge‐stabilized electrical field. It maintains a sustainable driving force that attract the holes of TiO₂ and the electrons of Ag₂O, resulting in greatly increased separation and inhibited recombination of the photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, Ag₂O as a narrow bandgap semiconductor has a high ultraviolet–visible–near infrared (UV–vis–NIR) photoelectrocatalytic activity. The TiO₂/BTO/Ag₂O, after poling, successfully achieves a prominent photocurrent density, as high as 1.8 mA cm^?2 at 0.8 V versus Ag/Cl, which is about 2.6 times the TiO₂ nanorod photoanode. It is the first time that piezoelectric BaTiO₃ is used for tuning the interface of p‐type and n‐type photoelectrocatalyst. With the enhanced light harvesting, efficient photogenerated electron–hole pairs' separation, and rapid charge transfer at the photoanode, an excellent photoelectrocatalytic activity is realized.     

Regeneration of novel visible-light-driven Ag/Ag3PO4@C3N4 hybrid materials and their high photocatalytic stability

Novel visible-light-driven Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄PO₄ loaded with metal Ag were synthesised via an anion-exchange precipitation method and regenerated by H₂O₂ and NaNH₃HPO₄. The obtained Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ and regenerated Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ were characterised by XRD, XPS, SEM and UV–vis. The XRD and UV–vis results revealed that the crystal structure and light adsorption property of Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ were similar to that of regenerated Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄. The XPS result showed that the metallic Ag⁰ deposited on the surface of Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ and regenerated Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄. The Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ hybrids displayed remarkable photocatalytic activity and stability after regeneration. Compared with pure Ag₃PO₄ or C₃N₄, the Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ and regenerated Ag/Ag₃PO₄@C₃N₄ enhancement in the photodegradation rate towards methyl orange is observed over under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic effect between Ag₃PO₄ and C₃N₄ and a small amount of Ag⁰ which suppresses the charge recombination during photocatalytic process. This work could provide new insights into the fabrication of high stability visible photocatalysts and facilitate their practical application in environment issues.     

Low‐Field Magnetoresistance in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3:ZnO Composite Film

A nanocomposite film of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO):ZnO is synthesized by depositing LSMO solution on a vertical array of ZnO nanorods grown on (0001) Al₂O₃ substrate. The magnetic behavior of the composite film differs from that of a pure LSMO film, possibly due to smaller grain size in the composite, small amount of Zn doping, or the presence of nonmagnetic ZnO phase near the LSMO grain boundaries. Magnetotransport measurements show that the low‐field magnetoresistance (LFMR) of the nanocomposite film is significantly enhanced as compared to that observed for pure LSMO film. The highest value of the LFMR of the nanocomposite film at 10 K is –23.9% with a magnetic field of 0.5 T applied parallel to the current.     

Novel multi-heterostructured Pt-BiOBr/TiO2 nanotube arrays with remarkable visible-light photocatalytic performance and stability

Unique multiple heterojunction of Pt-BiOBr/TiO2 nanotube arrays (Pt-BiOBr/TNTAs) was achived by successively loading both Pt nanoparticles (NPs) and BiOBr nanoflkes (NFs) on surface of ordered and spaced TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) using anodization followed by solvothermal and sequential chemical bath deposition (S-CBD) method. The fabricated Pt-BiOBr/TNTAs were fully characterized, and the photocatalytic (PC) activity and stability of Pt-BiOBr/TNTAs toward degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible-light irradiation (λ>400 nm) were evaluated. The results reveal that multiple heterostructures of Pt/TiO2, Pt/BiOBr and BiOBr/TiO2 are constructed among TNTAs substrate, Pt NPs and BiOBr NFs, and the hybrid Pt-BiOBr/TNTAs catalyst exhibits remarkable visible-light PC activity, favourable reusability and long-term stability. The combined effect of several factors may contribute to the remarkable PC performance, including strong visible-light absorption by both Pt NPs and BiOBr NFs, lower recombination rate of photo-generated electrons and holes attributed to the multiple heterojunction, microstructures for facile light injection and adsorption as well as efficient mass transport, and larger specific surface area for enhancing light absorption, increasing the effective contact area between the absorbed dye molecules and catalyst and benefiting the molecule transport of reactants or products. This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.51402078 and 51302060), Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (No.1408085QE85), and the Young Scholar Enhancement Foundation (Plan B) of Hefei University of Technology in China (No.JZ2016HGTB0711). E-mail:jqliu@hfut.edu.cn      

Facile synthesis of Cu/tetrapod-like ZnO whisker compounds with enhanced photocatalytic properties

Cu/tetrapod-like ZnO whisker (T-ZnOw) compounds were successfully synthesized using N₂H₄·H₂O as a reducing agent by a simple reduction method without any insert gas at room temperature. The crystal phase composition and morphology of the as-prepared samples were investigated by XRD, SEM and FESEM tests. The photocatalytic property of the as-prepared samples was detected by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution under UV irradiation. It can be found that Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) dispersed on the surface of T-ZnOw increased with the increasing of Cu/Zn molar ratios (Cu/Zn MRs), and an octahedral structure of CuNPs was obtained when the sample was prepared with less than and equal to 7.30% Cu/Zn MR, but tended to a spherical or nanorod structure of CuNPs densely arranged on the surface of T-ZnOw, which is prepared by Cu/Zn MRs up to 22.00%. All the compounds exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in decomposing of MO than T-ZnOw, the photocatalytic property of the samples increased with the increasing of Cu/Zn MRs up to 7.30%, while it decreases when further increasing the Cu/Zn MRs. The Schottky barrier of the Cu/T-ZnOw compound can effectively capture photoinduced electrons from the interface and enhanced the photocatalytic property of T-ZnOw.     

g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 composites with synergistic effect for increased photocatalytic activity under the visible light irradiation

The g-C₃N₄ was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and the g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ composites were prepared by a ordinary precipitation method. Microstructures, morphologies and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles were dispersed on the surface of the flake-like g-C₃N₄, and the heterojunction was formed on the interface. The g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ (2 wt%) photocatalyst presented the highest photocatalytic activity for organic dye methylene blue (MB) degradation, and its photocurrent intensity was approximately 2 times than that of the pure Ag₃PO₄. The g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ (2 wt%) photocatalyst also exhibited photocatalytic performance in the decomposition of colorless antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP). The capture experiment confirmed that holes acted as the main active species during the photocatalytic reaction.