Synthesis of BiIO 4 /Ag 3 PO 4 nanocomposite with enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of phenol

Abstract

A novel BiIO₄/Ag₃PO₄ nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized through hydrothermal and chemical precipitation methods. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ultraviolet visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degradation of phenol under visible light irradiation. BiIO₄/Ag₃PO₄ nanocomposite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than BiIO₄ and Ag₃PO₄, with 5% BiIO₄/Ag₃PO₄ nanocomposite displaying the highest activity. The enhanced photocatalytic performance may be due to the formation of BiIO₄/Ag₃PO₄ heterojunction interface, which is beneficial to the separation and migration of the photogenerated electrons and holes. In addition, the active species trapping experiment demonstrated that •O²⁻ and •OH were the major active species during the photocatalytic process.

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