A Plasmonic Ag–AgBr/Bi₂O₂CO₃Composite Photocatalyst with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

A plasmonic Ag–AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 composite photocatalyst was prepared by a two-step synthesis method. The as-prepared Ag–AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. As probe pollutants, rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) were adopted to investigate the photocatalytic activity of the Ag–AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 composite photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. The as-prepared photocatalyst showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB and MB under visible light, which was attributed to the heterostructured Ag–AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) exhibited by Ag nanoparticles. Simultaneously, high stability of the sample was also investigated by five successive photodegradations of RhB under visible light. The relationship between photocatalytic activity and the structure of Ag–AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 is discussed, and possible reaction mechanisms are also proposed.