Preparation of Ag–Bi12SiO20/Bi2SiO5 with high visible light photocatalytic property: the synergistic effect of the heterojunction and the heterogeneous interface

Abstract

The bismuth silicate heterogeneous powders were prepared by Pechini sol–gel method, and Ag–Bi12SiO20/Bi2SiO5 (Ag–BSO) were prepared by photoreduction method. The crystal phase, morphology, crystal structure and optical properties of the samples were systematically characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, FTIR spectrometer and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic performance of BSO and Ag–BSO samples with different Ag contents was investigated. The results show that the degradation rate of Rhodamine B in BSO and Ag–BSO system under visible light is about 56% and 90%, respectively. With a suitable concentration of Ag solution, a heterogeneous interface is formed between Ag and BSO, which greatly improves the photocatalytic activity of BSO. Moreover, the synergistic effect of the heterojunction and the heterogeneous interface greatly enhances the photocatalytic performance.