Optimization of AgIO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ composite photocatalyst to achieve enhanced photocatalytic performance by adjusting...

The construction of heterojunction is an effective and conventional method to improve the photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts. On this basis, how to further regulate the separation and migration of photogenerated carrier is worthy of further investigation. As a mature and efficient modification method, oxygen defect engineering was used to regulate the S-scheme heterojunction composed of AgIO₃ and Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ to further enhance the photocatalytic activity of the constructed heterojunction in this study. In addition to improving the visible light absorption of the photocatalyst and providing active sites, the introduction of oxygen vacancies can also strengthen the internal electric field between the two semiconductors by expanding the Fermi level gap, which can be verified by Mott-Schottky experiment and DFT calculations, resulting in more efficient photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. As a result, compared with AgIO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂, the AgIO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ heterojunction modulated by oxygen defect engineering exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity, which proves the feasibility of the regulation of the interfacial electric field. This work provides a new idea for the modulation strategy of the interface electric field.