High-efficiency photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B and tetracycline by Z-scheme nanostructured Ag/Ag3PO4/Ti3+-TiO2 mesocrystals heterojunctions under visible light

Abstract

This paper discusses the photocatalytic properties of Ag/Ag3PO4/Ti3+-TiO2 composites. The nanostructured composites were synthesized by gas-phase hydrolysis, precipitation, and photoreduction methods. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was evaluated by degrading RhB and TC under visible light. The degradation efficiency of AT4 for RhB and TC reached 99.9 % and 78.2 % under visible light irradiation for 20 min and 2.5 min, respectively. The superior performance of AT4 is facilitated by the combined influence of the heterojunction and the SPR. The free radical capture test proved that h+ and •O2− were the major reactive groups, and in conjunction with UV–vis DRS curves and Mott-Schottky curves, a probable reaction mechanism was proposed.