Synergic action of bamboo-cellulose-supported hydrogen-bonded nano-AgBr for robust photocatalysis

A novel semiconductor photocatalyst was developed using bamboo cellulose fibers (BCFs) embedded with nano-AgBr (AgBr@BCFs) via a simple and rapid method. BCFs prevented the agglomeration of AgBr and provided numerous active reaction sites as a dispersant and structural support. The photocatalytic activity of AgBr@BCFs in removing organic pollutants was investigated and the endogenous factors leading to the high activity were analyzed through a combination of a series of experiments, characterizations and theoretical calculations. We propose that the efficient photocatalytic performance of AgBr@BCFs was attributed to the interface integration facilitated by hydrogen bonds and robust electronic interactions. The interface demonstrated a significantly negative reduction potential (-0.57 eV), enhancing carrier transport efficiency and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Compared to the intrinsic activity of AgBr, AgBr@BCFs exhibits 7.2 times higher performance for Rhodamine B and 8.6 times greater intensity for tetracycline (TC). Additionally, the applicability of the photocatalyst across various pH ranges, photocorrosion resistance, and recyclability were evaluated. The mechanism of the photocatalytic process revealed that the synergistic bifunctionality of high adsorption rate and strong degradation activity is the primary reason for the high activity. BCFs-based semiconductor material can be recycled efficiently, which is a promising photocatalyst for the purification of organic sewage.