Silver Phosphate Research Articles

Preparation of TiO2/TiOF2/{2 2 2}Ag3PO4 and its photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride wastewater

TiO2/TiOF2/{222}Ag3PO4 composite catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method. The activity of the catalyst was investigated with tetracycline hydrochloride (TTCH) as the target pollutant. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, PL, BET, UV–Vis and other analytical methods. The results showed that: the compound improves the photocatalytic performance of silver phosphate; increases the specific surface area of the catalyst; reduces the forbidden band width and improves the activity under sunlight; suppresses the electron-hole recombination rate and increases the transfer efficiency of photogenerated electrons. The silver phosphate in the composite sample is in the form of tetrahedrons with exposed high-energy surfaces {222}. The degradation efficiency of 20 mg TiO2/TiOF2/Ag3PO4 composite catalyst has a catalytic rate of 86.4% for tetracycline. In the whole process, Superoxide radical (O2−) has an important effect on the degradation activity of the composite catalyst to TTCH.

Facile fabrication of nano silver phosphate on B-doped g-C3N4: An excellent p-n heterojunction photocatalyst towards water oxidation and Cr (VI) reduction

A photostable Ag3PO4/BCN type-II p-n heterojunction has been demonstrated by loading nano Ag3PO4 on B-doped g-C3N4 nanosheet (BCN). The photocatalysts were successfully characterized by various physicochemical techniques and their photocatalytic activities were tested towards the water oxidation reaction to produce oxygen and Cr (VI) reduction under visible light. The HRTEM confirms Ag3PO4 with a particle size of 15 nm has been deposited on BCN to construct a p-n heterojunction. The BCNS-50 absorbs more visible light in the solar spectrum as compared to other catalyst, demonstrating the ability to generate 587 µmol h−1g−1 O2 and reduces 98% of 20 ppm Cr (VI) solution in 1 h. The lower PL intensity as well as lower arc value in case of BCNS-50 suggests the maximum e-h separation and lower charge transfer resistance across the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. The BCN sheet provides a compact heterojunction where the oxidation peak of Ag3PO4 decreases gradually and disappear in case of BCNS-50 suggesting the enhance stability of Ag3PO4 in the heterojunction. BCNS-50 could able to produce −139 and 3087.5 μA photocurrent both in cathodic and anodic direction which is approximately 7 and 2.4 folds higher as compared to nano Ag3PO4. The generation of photocurrent in both cathodic and anodic direction confirms the formation of p-n heterojunction which further supported by Mott-Schottky analysis. Furthermore the construction of the p-n heterojunction is verified via Mott−Schottky study. DFT calculation explains the contribution of various atomic orbital of Ag3PO4 and BCN towards the formation of hybrid orbital in the heterojunction and the path for charge delocalization between them. This work may provide a limelight and alternative pathway for enhanced photocatalytic performance on construction of the p-n heterojunction in a simple way.

THE ENHANCED PHOTOCATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF SILVER PHOSPHATE SYNTHESIZED UNDER MANGOSTEEN PEEL EXTRACT SOLUTION

The synthesis of silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) photocatalyst has been widely developed for organic pollutant degradation. However, the large particle of this photocatalyst limits the photocatalytic activity. The smaller particle size of the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst was successfully prepared using the starting material of AgNO3 and Na2HPO4.12H2O under mangosteen peel extract solution. The starting materials were dissolved in mangosteen peel extract solutions prepared at the concentration of 1% (w/v). The reaction of silver nitrate and phosphate solution was conducted at room temperature. The samples of pristine Ag3PO4 and Ag3PO4 prepared under mangosteen peel extract were studied using XRD, DRS, SEM, BET, and FTIR. All photocatalytic activities were evaluated using Rhodamine B photooxidation under blue light irradiation (LED, 3 Watt). The results showed that the mangosteen peel extract significantly decreased the particle size, lowered the bandgap energy from 2.12 to 2.00 eV, and increased the crystallinity of Ag3PO4. The interaction of xanthones from mangosteen peel extract solution with silver ion might affect the growth particle of Ag3PO4, and inhibit the agglomeration leading to small particle size, more uniform distribution, high crystallinity, and low bandgap energy. These properties enhanced the photocatalytic activity up to 2.9 times higher compared to the sample without the treatment of mangosteen peel extract.

Preparation and Characterization of Tubelike g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 Heterojunction with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

Water pollution caused by dye wastewater is a potential threat to human health. Using photocatalysis technology to deal with dye wastewater has the advantages of strong purification and no secondary pollution, so it is greatly significant to look for new visible-light photocatalysts with high photocatalytic ability for dye wastewater degradation. Semiconductor photocatalyst silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) has high quantum efficiency and photocatalytic degradation activity. However, Ag3PO4 is prone to photoelectron corrosion and becomes unstable during photocatalysis, which severely limits its application in this field. In this study, a tubelike g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 heterojunction was constructed by the chemical precipitation method. An Ag3PO4 nanoparticle was loaded onto the surface of the tubelike g-C3N4, forming close contact. The photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst was evaluated by the degradation of RhB under visible-light irradiation. The tubelike g-C3N4/Ag3PO4-5% heterojunction exhibited optimal photocatalytic performance. In an optimal process, the degradation rate of the RhB is 90% under visible-light irradiation for 40 min. The recycling experiment showed that there was no apparent decrease in the activity of tubelike g-C3N4/Ag3PO4-5% heterojunction after five consecutive runs. A possible Z-type mechanism is proposed to explain the high activity and stability of the heterojunction.

Interfacial Charge Transfer between Silver Phosphate and W2N3 Induced by Nitrogen Vacancies Enhances Removal of β‐Lactam Antibiotics

AbstractConstructing heterojunctions has been demonstrated as an important approach to improve the catalytic performance of photocatalysts, but how to regulate the transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers at the interface is still a great challenge. Herein, W2N3‐NV, a two‐dimensional transition metal nitride containing nitrogen vacancies, is synthesized by a molten salt‐assisted atmosphere calcination method. A novel composite photocatalyst Ag3PO4@W2N3‐NV with good photocatalytic activity and photostability is prepared for the first time and applied to the efficient removal of β‐lactam antibiotics. The composite catalyst shows much superior photocatalytic degradation performance of penicillin and amoxicillin, and the apparent rate constant of which is 77.7 and 42.9 times than that of pure Ag3PO4, respectively. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations confirm that the presence of nitrogen vacancies can drive the formation of defects and dangling bonds on the W2N3‐NV surface, which make it easy to combine with Ag3PO4 and form new chemical bonds at the interface. The WO chemical bonds formed at the interface provide a fast transfer channel for the interfacial photogenerated charge, resulting in the boosted carriers transfer and separation ability of Ag3PO4@W2N3‐NV composite. This study provides a new strategy for the interface engineering of highly efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Electrochemically synthesized silver phosphate coating on anodized aluminum with superior antibacterial properties

A two-step electrochemical deposition process has been deployed to fabricate Ag3PO4 antibacterial coating on anodized aluminum surface. Structural, morphological and chemical compositional analyses characterized by XRD, SEM and FTIR, confirm the formation of crystalline Ag3PO4 nanoparticles. The Ag3PO4 coated anodized aluminum resulted in 100% Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria inactivation. Furthermore, susceptibility and photocatalysis studies on powdered (5 μg/mL) Ag3PO4 nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial properties with a zone of inhibition of 20 ± 1.3 mm and 100% E. coli inactivation under 15 min of visible-light irradiation. Additionally, the electrochemically synthesized Ag3PO4 coating on anodized aluminum exhibited a remarkably high adhesion.

Silver-phosphate glass matrix for iodine conditioning: From sorbent design to vitrification

A new route for the synthesis of silver-phosphate based sorbent beads as precursors of final iodine waste form is proposed here. This sorbent is used to entrap gaseous iodine produced during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels and to be directly transformed into materials composed of a silver phosphate glass phase considered as high efficient iodine containment matrix for long-term storage in deep geological repository. Using sacrificial organic template method (alginate) and well controlled calcination of the obtained silver phosphate grains materials, this innovative synthesis makes in-situ formation of metallic silver inside them. Ag0 then can easily entrap iodine when in contact with gaseous iodine. The obtained sorbent were tested for iodine trapping in static conditions. They showed great performances with a catch rate of 480 mg.g−1. The iodine-loaded sorbent were finally heat treated at 650 °C with an iodine loss lower than 3% wt. The resulted materials shows the presence of the expected silver phosphate glass matrix with a great iodine incorporation of 9% mol.

Valorization of Brewery Wastes for the Synthesis of Silver Nanocomposites Containing Orthophosphate.

Brewery wastes from stage 5 (Wort precipitate: BW5) and stage 7 (Brewer’s spent yeast: BW7) were valorized for the synthesis of silver phosphate nanocomposites. Nanoparticles were synthesized by converting silver salt in the presence of brewery wastes at different temperatures (25, 50, and 80 °C) and times (10, 30, and 120 min). Unexpectedly, BW7 yielded Ag3PO4 nanoparticles with minor contents of AgCl and Ag metal (Agmet). Contrastingly, BW5 produced AgCl nanoparticles with minor amounts of Ag3PO4 and Agmet. Nanocomposites with different component ratios were obtained by simply varying the synthesis temperature and time. The morphology of the nanocomposites contained ball-like structures representative of Ag3PO4 and stacked layers and fused particles representing AgCl and Agmet. The capping on the nanoparticles contained organic groups from the brewery by-products, and the surface overlayer had a rich chemical composition. The organic overlayers on BW7 nanocomposites were thinner than those on BW5 nanocomposites. Notably, the nanocomposites exhibited high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The antibacterial activity was higher for BW7 nanocomposites due to a larger silver phosphate content in the composition and a thin organic overlayer. The growth of Agmet in the structure adversely affected the antimicrobial property of the nanocomposites.

Preparation of Nitrogen‐doped Silver Phosphate and Its Performance of Supercapacitors

AbstractSilver phosphate (Ag3PO4) has been proved to be an excellent visible light catalyst. It also has a certain specific capacity, but if used as a supercapacitor anode material, its specific capacitance still needs to be further improved. To increase the specific capacity of Ag3PO4, a facile method is to dope it with nitrogen. In this work, the nitrogen‐doped Ag3PO4 material (N‐Ag3PO4) was synthesized via the reaction of AgNO3 with Na2HPO4 ⋅ 12H2O in the presence of urea at 80 °C by means of liquid precipitation. Electrochemical analyses of the as‐synthesized N‐Ag3PO4 composites were carried out in a three‐electrode geometry system. Results revealed that the doping of nitrogen could significantly improve the specific capacity of Ag3PO4. The highest specific capacity of 1314.9 F g−1, which is more than twice that of the pure Ag3PO4 specimen (656.1 F g−1), was obtained at the current density of 1 A g−1. At a higher current density of 10 A g−1, it possess a specific capacity of 716.6 F g−1, showing an excellent charge/discharge performance, which could be attributed to the smaller particle size and the lower charge transfer resistance (0.41 Ω cm−2) of synthesized N‐Ag3PO4 composites. These results suggest that the as‐prepared N‐Ag3PO4 composite has great promise as a super capacitor energy storage material.

Improvement of Gas Sensing of Uniform Ag3PO4 Nanoparticles to NH3 under the Assistant of LED Lamp with Low Power Consumption at Room Temperature

AbstractLight‐driven semiconductor gas sensors are attracting considerable research attention in the recent past. Among them, silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) material has excellent photocatalytic activities due to its high separation efficiency of electron‐hole pairs under visible light. Inspired by the above point of view, in this study, Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via simple precipitation method. The microstructure of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline phase and the composition of the elements and the chemical bonding states of the material were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Then the gas sensing performance of Ag3PO4 to ammonia (NH3) was systematically explored at room temperature under the illumination of LED lamp and the same was compared with the dark condition as well. Interestingly, the response value to NH3 under LED lamp was 30 % higher than that of dark condition and the detection limit was found to be as low as 10 ppm at room temperature. This can be ascribed to the generation of more oxygen species under visible light, which benefitted for enhancing the gas sensing performance of the sensor. Surprisingly, Ag3PO4 sensor exhibited superior selectivity to NH3 under mixed target gases, which can be attributed to the lone pair electrons of NH3 that tend to coordinate the empty orbitals of silver atom.

ZnO/Ag3PO4 and ZnO–Malachite as Effective Photocatalysts for the Removal of Enteropathogenic Bacteria, Dyestuffs, and Heavy Metals from Municipal and Industrial Wastewater

Different composites based on ZnO/Ag3PO4 and ZnO–malachite (Cu2(OH)2CO3) were synthesized in order to determine their effectiveness in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewaters (mainly polluted by enteropathogenic bacteria, dyes, and heavy metals). The addition of Ag3PO4 and malachite did not significantly modify the physicochemical properties of ZnO; however, the optical properties of this oxide were modified as a result of its coupling with the modifiers. The modification of ZnO led to an improvement in its effectiveness in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater. In general, the amount of malachite or silver phosphate and the effluent to be treated were the determining factors in the effectiveness of the wastewater treatment. The highest degree of elimination of bacteria from municipal wastewater and discoloration of textile staining wastewater were achieved by using ZnO/Ag3PO4 (5%), but an increase in the phosphate content had a detrimental effect on the treatment. Likewise, the highest Fe and Cu photoreduction from coal mining wastewater was observed by using ZnO–malachite (2.5%) and ZnO/Ag3PO4 (10%), respectively. Some of the results of this work were presented at the fourth Congreso Colombiano de Procesos Avanzados de Oxidación (4CCPAOx).

Biomineralization of Dental Tissues Treated with Silver Diamine Fluoride

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a dental biomaterial used to arrest dental caries. To better understand SDF’s mechanism of action, we examined the localization of silver within the tissues of SDF-treated teeth. Carious primary teeth fixed within 2 min of SDF application (SDF-minutes, n = 3), at 3 wk after SDF application in vivo (SDF-weeks, n = 4), and at 2 y after multiple SDF applications in vivo (SDF-multiple, n = 1) were investigated in this study. Carious primary teeth without SDF application (no-SDF, n = 3) served as controls. Mineral density and structural analyses were performed via micro–X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. Elemental analyses were performed through X-ray fluorescence microprobe and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic techniques. SDF-treated teeth revealed higher X-ray–attenuated surface and subsurface regions within carious lesions, and similar regions were not present in no-SDF teeth. Regions of higher mineral density correlated with regions of silver abundance in SDF-treated teeth. The SDF penetration depth was approximated to 0.5 ± 0.02 mm and 0.6 ± 0.05 mm (mean ± SD) for SDF-minutes and SDF-weeks specimens, respectively. A higher percentage of dentin tubular occlusion by silver or calcium phosphate particles was observed in primary teeth treated with SDF-weeks as compared with SDF-minutes. Elemental analysis also revealed zinc abundance in carious lesions and around the pulp chamber. SDF-weeks teeth had significantly increased tertiary dentin than SDF-minutes and no-SDF teeth. These results suggest that SDF treatment on primary teeth affected by caries promotes pathologic biomineralization by altering their physicochemical properties, occluding dentin tubules, and increasing tertiary dentin volume. These seemingly serendipitous effects collectively contribute to the cariostatic activity of SDF.

Silver enriched silver phosphate microcubes as an efficient recyclable SERS substrate for the detection of heavy metal ions

A rapid, cost-effective and accurate detection of heavy metal ions is crucial for human health monitoring and environmental protection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become a reliable method due to its outstanding performance for the identification of contaminants. In this paper, silver phosphate microcubes (Ag3PO4) were fabricated using two different precipitation methods for ultrasensitive SERS detection of heavy metal ions. The use of an organic linker (BPy) with Ag3PO4 enabled the immobilization of Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions. The formation of Ag3PO4 was confirmed by XRD, UV-DRS, FESEM coupled with EDX and HRTEM. The analytical enhancement factor (AEF) obtained was 1010 with a detection limit of 10-15 M indicating high sensitivity. Based on these results, the possible SERS mechanism has been proposed and discussed. Moreover, an excellent reusability of Ag3PO4 substrate for at least four cycles was achieved upon the light exposure on heavy metal loaded substrate due to its superior catalytic ability for the degradation of heavy metal ions. The as-prepared substrate demonstrated remarkable stability, selectivity and SERS sensitivity towards real samples. The results conclude that Ag3PO4 microcubes offer a great prospect in recyclable SERS applications.

Preparation and characterization of silver orthophosphate photocatalytic coating on glass substrate

The photocatalytic activity of silver orthophosphate Ag3PO4 has been studied and shown to have a high photo-oxidation capability. However, there is few reported example of a simple method to prepare Ag3PO4 coatings on various substrates. In this study a novel and simple method to immobilize Ag3PO4 on the surface of glass substrates has been developed. A silver phosphate paste based on a polyelectrolyte solution was applied to a smooth glass surface. The resulting dried material was calcined to obtain a coating that remained on the glass substrate. The coating layer was characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and the optical band gap of the material was determined. The results indicated that an Ag3PO4 coating responsive to visible light was successfully prepared. The coating, under visible light irradiation, has the ability to decompose methylene blue. Although the coating contained some elemental silver, this did not adversely affect the optical band gap or the photocatalytic ability.

Photocatalytic Activity and Antibacterial Effect of Ag3PO4 Powders Against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

In this study, silver phosphate (Ag 3 PO 4 ) was successfully prepared through a simple precipitation method, and its structural, optical, and morphological properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Rietveld refinement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Thereafter, the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and the antibacterial effect against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were analyzed. Ag 3 PO 4 was highly photocatalytic, degrading approximately 100% of the RhB after 25 min of visible light exposure. The photocatalytic mechanism was evaluated by trapping experiments indicating that photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals were the principal species present in the photocatalytic system. In addition, Ag 3 PO 4 is a potential bacterial agent as it reduced the MRSA population even at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Morphological changes of the MRSA cells exposed to Ag 3 PO 4 powder were investigated by the FE-SEM analysis, and a possible mechanism involving the release of dissolved Ag + , together with the production of reactive photocatalytic oxygen species is proposed based on the experimental results. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.17807/orbital.v13i3.1567

A novel approach for the synthesis of nanostructured Ag3PO4 from phosphate rock: high catalytic and antibacterial activities

BackgroundSilver orthophosphate (Ag3PO4) has received enormous attention over the past few years for its higher visible light photocatalytic performance as well as for various organic pollutants degradation in aqueous media. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made to the synthesis of Ag3PO4 with high catalytic efficiency, long lifetime, and using low-cost inorganic precursors.ResultsThis article describes our efforts to develop a novel approach to synthesize of nanostructured silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) using phosphate rock as alternative and natural source of PO43− precursor ions. The catalytic experimental studies showed that the nanostructured Ag3PO4 exhibited excellent catalytic activity for reduction of p-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4 at room temperature. Furthermore, the antibacterial studies revealed that the obtained Ag3PO4 possess significant effect against E. Coli and S. Aureus bacteria.ConclusionThe obtained results make the nanostructured Ag3PO4 prepared from natural phosphate as a highly promising candidate to be used as efficient catalyst and antibacterial agent.Graphic

Novel magnetically separable tetrahedral Ag3PO4/NrGO/CuFe2O4 photocatalyst for efficient detoxification of 2,4-dichlorophenol

An effective as well as eco-friendly photodegradation methods by atoxic and easily reusable photocatalysts are essential for wastewater treatment. Silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) specifically in tetrahedral shape is one of the superior catalysts under visible light but its photocorrosion, poor electron transfer ability and low surface adsorption properties limits its applications. Combination of Ag3PO4 and nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (NrGO) having higher in surface area, ample functional groups and hetero atom doping is expected to get over the problem. Further addition of a spinel ferrite (CuFe2O4) could enhance the visible light response activity and helps in easy separation of catalyst for reuse. Given the merits of Ag3PO4, NrGO and CuFe2O4 we rationally integrated a novel magnetically separable stable Ag3PO4/NrGO/CuFe2O4 photocatalyst for efficient detoxification of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). About 95.3% degradation efficiency was achieved by Ag3PO4/NrGO/CuFe2O4 (k = 0.01978 min−1) which was ~2.6 times higher than pure Ag3PO4 (k = 0.00747 min−1) in 60 min of visible light irradiation. The Ag3PO4/NrGO/CuFe2O4 heterojunction was able to separate and recycle easily using an external magnetic field due to its strong magnetism, and after 5 recycles it showed 88.6% of degradation efficiency revealed its higher stability and recyclability. The photocatalytic mechanism of Ag3PO4/NrGO/CuFe2O4 was explained by heterojunction energy-band theory. In addition, the plausible intermediate products of 2,4-dichlorophenol were analyzed by ESI/LC-MS and proposed the pathway. Moreover, the phytotoxicity was also studied on V. radiata in which GI (germination index) was found to be 11.97% before degradation, while 80.31% of GI was observed in 60 min of degradation which revealed that more significant reduction in toxicity was attained on this photodegradation.

Exploring hierarchical porous silica-supported Ag3PO4 as high-efficient and environmental-friendly photocatalytic disinfectant

Silver orthophosphate (Ag3PO4) is an attractive photocatalytic catalyst for disinfection and degradation, but its instability arising from silver release generates significant environmental issue. Aiming to develop a highly efficient and environmental-friendly catalyst, we synthesized Ag3PO4 nanoparticle incorporated hierarchical porous silica (Ag3PO4@h-SiO2) as a novel high-performance photocatalytic catalyst without observed silver release. Brain-like hierarchical porous SiO2 (h-SiO2) brings a scaffold support with high surface areas, and the h-SiO2 surface modified thiols are able to anchor in situ formed 10 nm Ag3PO4 to eliminate silver release. Systematic investigations revealed that because of its structural advantages, Ag3PO4@h-SiO2 show excellent disinfection and degradation ability under visible-light irradiation and stable characteristics without obviously observed silver leaching during photo-oxidation operation. In-depth scavenger study reveals Ag3PO4@h-SiO2 as an effective semiconducting photocatalyst stimulates the production of photo-generated reactive species, which dominate its distinguished disinfection performance via photo-oxidation.Graphical abstractAg3PO4 are anchored to thiol modified hierarchical porous SiO2 to produce a visible-light responsive photocatalyst of Ag3PO4@h-SiO2. The enhanced catalytic sites and surface areas promote pathogen disinfection, and the structure advantages minimize silver release to environment. Both H2O2 and holes being generated in photocatalysis dominate overall disinfection activity.

Novel step-scheme red mud based Ag3PO4 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability in photo-Fenton reaction

In our work, using industrial waste red mud (RM) as a host material to grow silver phosphate (Ag3PO4), a low-cost and new heterogeneous Ag3PO4/RM (APRM) composite was successfully prepared through a facile in-situ deposition method. The characterization results demonstrated Ag3PO4 nanoparticles uniformly deposited on RM to form P-O-Fe bonds, and a semiconductor heterostructure was constructed between the two nanocrystalline components of Ag3PO4 and Fe2O3. The optimal composite of APRM-110 exhibited a remarkable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) in photo-Fenton reaction. The enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability could be attributed to the S-scheme charge transfer in APRM-110, which accelerated the photo-generated carrier separation and then effectively restrained the photocorrosion of APRM-110. The APRM-110 composite held good reusability, stability and excellent settleability. The main intermediates were identified and the degradation pathway of TC-HCl in photo-Fenton reaction catalyzed by APRM-110 was proposed. The aquatic toxicity of TC-HCl solution could be effectively weakened by the photo-Fenton catalyzed by APRM-110. This work has designed a cost-efficiency and stable RM-based Ag3PO4 composite, and as a highly effective catalyst for TC-HCl degradation in photo-Fenton reaction.

Formation of pyrophosphates across grain boundaries induces the formation of mismatched but oriented interfaces in silver phosphate polypods

Interfaces and their misfit defects determine the material properties of a wide range of applications, such as electronic devices, photocatalysts, and structural materials. However, current atomic-level understanding of interfacial structures is limited. Here we reveal that a special interfacial structure, a mismatched but oriented interface formed by two differently structured facets, gives rise to Ag3PO4 polypods at room temperature in aqueous solution. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy results suggest that interfaces of {100} and {110}({100}/(110}), {100}/{111}, {110}/{111}, and {100}/{100} have certain orientation relationships, corresponding to the structural energy minima and coincident site lattices of interfacial atoms, as demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulations. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the formation of pyrophosphates and/or phosphates rotation across the interface, as well as deformation of Ag-O bonds, compensate for the lattice mismatch at the interfaces. Our work opens a new avenue for a much wider range of interfacial structures, allow for a higher diversity of structures, and shines light on tailoring crystal structures, morphologies, and their resulting properties.