Monodispersed Ag3PO4 nanocrystals loaded on the surface of spherical Bi2MoO6 with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Spherical Bi(2)MoO(6) nanoarchitectures with scale of 500 nm-2 μm were prepared by a solvothermal reaction using bismuth nitrate and ammonium molybdate as precursors. Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles were then deposited onto the surface of Bi(2)MoO(6)via a facile deposition-precipitation technique. The photocatalytic tests display that the Ag(3)PO(4)/Bi(2)MoO(6) nanocomposites possess a much higher rate for degradation of rhodamine B and methylene blue than the pure Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles and Bi(2)MoO(6) under visible light. The catalytic activity of the composite photocatalysts is greatly influenced by the loading level of Ag(3)PO(4). The 50 mol% Ag(3)PO(4)-loaded Bi(2)MoO(6) spheres exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity in both the decolorization of RhB and MB. The observed improvement in photocatalytic activity is associated with the extended absorption in the visible light region resulting from the Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles, and the effective separation of photogenerated carriers at the Ag(3)PO(4)/Bi(2)MoO(6) interfaces. In addition, the composite can be easily reclaimed by sedimentation without any loss of its stability. Moreover, the tests of radical scavengers confirmed that h(+) and ˙OH were the main reactive species for the degradation of RhB.