Ag₃PO₄/NiO Composites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts is crucial for environmental remediation.
• Nickel oxide (NiO) and silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) are promising semiconductor materials for photocatalysis.
• Understanding composite formation and its effect on photocatalytic activity is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel Ag3PO4/NiO photocatalyst composites.
• To evaluate the photocatalytic efficiency and stability of these composites under visible light.
• To elucidate the mechanisms behind their photocatalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal method for NiO preparation.
• In situ precipitation for Ag3PO4/NiO composite synthesis.
• X-ray diffraction, Rietveld refinement, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis DRS, FESEM, and photoluminescence for characterization.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of Ag3PO4/NiO composites with strong phase interaction and defects.
• Enhanced light absorption and NiO microflowers composed of nanoflakes in contact with Ag3PO4 microparticles observed.
• The composite with 5% NiO degraded 96% of rhodamine B (RhB) in 15 min, while the 75% NiO composite showed superior stability.

Conclusions:

• Ag3PO4/NiO composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability under visible light.
• The composition significantly influences both the efficiency and durability of the photocatalyst.
• Proposed photocatalytic mechanisms for RhB degradation over Ag3PO4/NiO composites under visible-light irradiation.