Abstract
The effect of noble metal silver (Ag) modification on the photocatalytic performance of layered BiOCl microspheres was investigated herein. BiOCl@Ag, a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst with regular morphology, was prepared via a solvothermal method using BiOCl. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphology and light absorption properties of the materials. The degradation rate of RhB was 88.2% after 90 min of visible-light irradiation when BiOCl@Ag was used and only 32.4% when pure BiOCl was used. Photoluminescence and electron spin resonance studies were conducted to determine why the use of BiOCl@Ag resulted in higher photocatalytic activity than the use of pure BiOCl. The results showed the surface plasmon resonance effect of BiOCl@Ag extended the range of visible light absorption. Furthermore, a Schottky barrier was used as a photoelectron capture center to promote the effective separation of photogenerated charges. Finally, the interaction of noble metals and semiconductors increased the activity of oxidizing free radicals on the catalyst surface. This study showed the Ag loading of BiOCl effectively improved the photocatalytic performance of BiOCl.
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