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BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 heterostructured nanocomposite photocatalysts: Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic application
Author(s) -
Chowdhury Arpita Paul,
Shambharkar Baban H.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.348
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1932-2143
pISSN - 1932-2135
DOI - 10.1002/apj.2182
Subject(s) - materials science , photoluminescence , photocatalysis , nanocomposite , photodegradation , heterojunction , tetragonal crystal system , photochemistry , absorption spectroscopy , spectroscopy , nanoparticle , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , phase (matter) , chemistry , catalysis , optoelectronics , optics , organic chemistry , physics , engineering , quantum mechanics
BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 heterostructured nanocomposite photocatalysts have been synthesized by chemical coprecipitation method in the presence of ethylene glycol solvent at a temperature of 100 °C for 4 hr. The synthesized BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 heterostructured composites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible near‐infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement. X‐ray diffraction pattern of BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 heterostructures showed the peaks corresponding to tetragonal structure of BiOBr and orthorhombic structure of Ag 8 SnS 6 nanoparticles, which indicated that they exist in biphasic form in the composite. Photoluminescence studies showed that the BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 ‐1 composite possesses the lowest recombination rate of e − –h + pairs. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area of BiOBr, Ag 8 SnS 6 nanoparticles, BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 ‐1, and BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 ‐2 was found to be 0.05, 2.35, 1.88, and 1.0 m 2 /g, respectively. BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 heterostructured nanocomposite photocatalysts exhibited robust photodegradation towards degradation of indigo carmine dye than that of single‐phase BiOBr and Ag 8 SnS 6 nanoparticles under sunlight irradiation. The enhanced photoactivity could be ascribed to heterostructure effect between BiOBr and Ag 8 SnS 6 nanoparticles, an improved visible light absorption and the separation and easy transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes, across the interface of BiOBr‐Ag 8 SnS 6 . The radical scavenger experiments showed that photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals were the main active species involved in the photodegradation process of indigo carmine.