Ba₃(PO₄)₂ Photocatalyst for Efficient Photocatalytic Application.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Barium phosphate (Ba3(PO4)2) exhibits chemical stability and versatility, but its photocatalytic applications are underexplored.
• Developing efficient and stable photocatalysts is crucial for environmental remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and optimize barium phosphate (Ba3(PO4)2) nanoflakes using sol-gel and hydrothermal methods.
• To investigate the photocatalytic activity of Ba3(PO4)2 for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB).
• To elucidate the photocatalytic mechanism and assess catalyst stability.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel and hydrothermal synthesis of Ba3(PO4)2 nanoflakes.
• Physicochemical characterization using XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, DRS, J-t, LSV, Mott-Schottky, and EIS.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for band structure analysis.
• Photocatalytic degradation experiments using RhB as a model pollutant.
• Active species trapping experiments.

Main Results:

• Both sol-gel and hydrothermal methods yielded Ba3(PO4)2 powders with photocatalytic activity.
• Sol-gel derived Ba3(PO4)2 achieved 79% RhB photodegradation, outperforming the hydrothermal method (68%).
• The sol-gel derived catalyst demonstrated excellent stability over four regeneration cycles.
• DFT calculations provided insights into the material's electronic band structure.
• Superoxide radicals (O2•−) were identified as the primary reactive species in the photocatalytic process.

Conclusions:

• Ba3(PO4)2 nanoflakes, particularly those synthesized via the sol-gel method, show significant promise as efficient and stable photocatalysts.
• The study highlights the potential of Ba3(PO4)2 for environmental applications, such as pollutant degradation.
• Further research into Ba3(PO4)2 based photocatalysts is warranted for broader applications.