Open AccessWO3/Ag2CO3 Mixed Photocatalyst with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Organic Dye Degradation
Author(s) -
Mei Zhou,
XueMei Tian,
Hao Yu,
Zhonghua Wang,
Chunguang Ren,
Limei Zhou,
YingWu Lin,
Lin Dou
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs omega
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 40
ISSN - 2470-1343
DOI - 10.1021/acsomega.1c03694
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , rhodamine b , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , degradation (telecommunications) , visible spectrum , materials science , photochemistry , reaction rate constant , radical , catalysis , nuclear chemistry , chemistry , chemical engineering , kinetics , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , telecommunications , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , engineering
The development of an efficient photocatalyst with superior activity under visible light has been regarded as a significant strategy for pollutant degradation and environmental remediation. Herein, a series of WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 mixed photocatalysts with different proportions were prepared by a simple mixing method and characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and DRS techniques. The photocatalytic performance of the WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 mixed photocatalyst was investigated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). The photocatalytic efficiency of the mixed WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 photocatalyst was rapidly increased with the proportion of Ag 2 CO 3 up to 5%. The degradation percentage of RhB by WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 -5% reached 99.7% within 8 min. The pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant of WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 -5% (0.9591 min -1 ) was 118- and 14-fold higher than those of WO 3 (0.0081 min -1 ) and Ag 2 CO 3 (0.0663 min -1 ). The catalytic activities of the mixed photocatalysts are not only higher than those of the WO 3 and Ag 2 CO 3 but also higher than that of the WO 3 /Ag 2 CO 3 composite prepared by the precipitation method. The activity enhancement may be because of the easier separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The photocatalytic mechanism was investigated by free radical capture performance and fluorescence measurement. It was found that light-induced holes (h + ) was the major active species and superoxide radicals (·O 2 - ) also played a certain role in photocatalytic degradation of RhB.