Abstract
In the present work, AgCl microcrystals were obtained by solvothermal crystallization to investigate the effect of H+, Na+, K+, and different shape-tailoring agents (non-ionic: polyvinylpyrrolidone vs. anionic: sodium dodecyl sulfate) on the textural and photocatalytic properties of the samples. The crystallization process resulted in secondary products, such as AgxO or Ag, AgClO3, AgClO4, which were further transformed during the photocatalytic tests. The most efficient photocatalyst (assessed for methyl orange degradation) was synthesized using HCl, as a chloride source and polyvinylpyrrolidone, as a shape-tailoring agent. Therefore, the ability of polyvinylpyrrolidone to enhance the photocatalytic activity was also investigated, and it was found that the addition of 0.6 g polyvinylpyrrolidone resulted in the most efficient photocatalyst. Moreover, AgxO, being a charge separator, could play a critical role in the photocatalytic process, while reversibly transforming to Ag back and forth.
Highlights
The increasing interest in the use of silver-based materials is not surprising due to their advantageous properties, such as strong optical absorption, narrow band gap energy [1], high quantum efficiency, and enhanced photochemical properties [2]
Despite its relatively wide band gap energy (3.25 eV [18]/ultraviolet (UV) active), it is widely used as a photocatalyst, as several studies showed that it can be excited by visible light as well
The results showed that the average diameter mainly depends on the alkali metal cation (AgCl_KCl: ≈40 nm and AgCl_NaCl: ≈100 nm)
Summary
The increasing interest in the use of silver-based materials is not surprising due to their advantageous properties, such as strong optical absorption, narrow band gap energy [1], high quantum efficiency, and enhanced photochemical properties [2] (especially photoluminescence [1]). These compounds can be used in several applications, such as sensors [3], photocatalytic H2 production [4], organic pollutant degradation [5], and antibacterial applications [6]. The main differences between the two phenomena are as follows:
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