Preparation and photocatalytic activity of carbon dot/Ag/AgCl

CD (carbon dot)/Ag/AgCl compound photocatalysts with different compounding degrees were prepared via a precipitation method, and their physiochemical properties were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, FE‐SEM, UV–vis and the like. Through the degradation experiment of methyl orange (MO), the effects of different compounding amount and methyl orange concentration on photocatalytic degradation were investigated to find the best ratio. It was found the photocatalytic activity of CD/Ag/AgCl was significantly higher than Ag/AgCl, and the best compounding dosage was 6 mg/l carbon dot. The degradation rate of CD/Ag/AgCl was lower when the initial MO concentration was higher. Five repeated experiments were conducted to test the stability of the catalysts, and showed the MO degradation rates were all above 85%, indicating the CD/Ag/AgCl compound photocatalysts all showed high stability and repeatability. The reaction mechanism of CD/Ag/AgCl photocatalyst was studied by electrochemical experiments and ESR experiments. The results show that the doping of CD effectively improves the photocatalytic degradation ability of MO.     

F‐doped Ag/AgBr with enhanced visible‐light photocatalytic activity and mechanism

Novel F‐doped Ag/AgBr photocatalysts containing various amounts of F^? were synthesized by an ion exchange method. The photocatalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X‐ray photoelectron, ultraviolet–visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies and electron spin resonance (ESR). Powder XRD revealed that F^? was inserted into the crystal lattices of AgBr and partially replaced Br^?, resulting in the contraction of the AgBr lattices. Methyl orange photodegradation experiments showed that the photocatalytic activity of F‐doped Ag/AgBr was significantly dependent on the amount of F^?. Ag/AgBr doped with 0.02 M F^? achieved the highest activity of 91% after 8 min. ESR showed the main active species in methyl orange degradation was ^?OH. The main enhancement mechanism is that F^? inhibits the recombination of electron–hole pairs.     

Photo Catalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes over Mn2+ Doped TiO2 Catalyst under UV/Solar Light:An Insight to the Route of Electron Transfer in the Mixed Phase of Anatase and Rutile

Mn²⁺ ion was doped into the TiO₂ matrix and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of a mono azo dye methyl orange (MO) and a di‐azo dye brilliant yellow (BY) under UV/solar light. X‐ray diffraction results revealed the phase transformation from anatase to rutile due to the inclusion of Mn²⁺ ion into the TiO₂ matrix. All the doped catalysts showed a red shift in the band gap to the visible region. The degradation reaction of the dyes was found to be dependent on its structure. It was found that mono azo dye degrades faster than di azo dye under UV/solar light. The rate constant under identical conditions calculated for the degradation of MO is 2.4 times (under UV light) and 4.5 times (under solar light) higher compared to BY. Among the photocatalysts studied, Mn²⁺(0.06 at.%)‐TiO₂ showed higher activity under both UV and solar light illumination. The synergestic effect in the bicrystalline framework of anatase and rutile effectively suppresses the charge carrier recombination and enhances the photocatalytic activity. The degradation reaction was followed by UV‐visible spectroscopy and the photoproducts formed were analyzed by GC‐MS techniques.     

Sonochemical Synthesis of Ag/AgCl Nanocubes and Their Efficient Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Performance

A novel one‐step sonochemical approach to synthesize a plasmonic photocatalyst of AgCl nanocubes (ca. 115 nm in edge length) with a small amount of Ag metal species is presented. The nanoscale Ag/AgCl hybrid photocatalysts with cubic morphology are readily formed under ambient ultrasonic conditions and neither external heat treatment nor reducing agents are required. The size of the Ag/AgCl photocatalysts could be controlled by changing the concentrations of Ag⁺ ions and polyvinylpyrrolidone molecules in precursor solutions. The compositions, microstructures, influencing factors, and possible growth mechanism of the Ag/AgCl hybrid nanocubes were systematically investigated. The Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of various dye molecules under visible light.     

Visible‐light photocatalytic activity of Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres

Ag nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres (Ag@MIL‐125(Ti)) were firstly fabricated via a facile hydrothermal and following photo‐reduction method. The photocatalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated that Ag NPs were dispersed on the surface of MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres, and the Ag NPs had a uniform diameter of about 40 nm. The composites exhibited excellent visible‐light absorption, due to the modification with the Ag NPs. The photocatalytic activity for the visible‐light‐promoted degradation of Rhodamine B was improved through the optimization of the amount of Ag loaded as a co‐catalyst, this amount being determined as 3 wt%. Additionally, studies performed using radical scavengers indicated that O₂^? and e^? served as the main reactive species. The catalyst can be reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Furthermore, a photocatalytic mechanism for degradation of organics over Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) is also proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photocatalytic Activity of Fe and Ce Co‐doped Mesoporous TiO2 Catalyst under UV and Visible Light

The catalysts of un‐doped, single‐doped and co‐doped mesoporous titanium dioxide (MTiO₂) were prepared by a template method with tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) as a Ti source material and Pluronic P123 as a template. The photo‐absorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV and visible light were estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) (50 mg/L) in an aqueous solution. It was shown that the co‐doped MTiO₂ could be activated by visible light and could thus be used as an effective catalyst in photo‐oxidation reactions. The effect of Fe and Ce co‐dopants on the material properties was investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherm measurement. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of ca. 10 nm with high surface area of ca. 150 m²/g. The photocatalytic activity of MTiO₂ co‐doped with Fe and Ce was markedly improved due to the synergistic actions of the two dopants.     

Electrochemical Fabrication and Properties of Highly Ordered Fe‐Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

Highly‐ordered Fe‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes (TiO₂nts) were fabricated by anodization of co‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films in a glycerol electrolyte containing NH₄F. The as‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films correspond to a solid solution of Ti and Fe according to X‐ray diffraction. The Fe‐doped TiO₂nts were studied in terms of composition, morphology and structure. The characterization included scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mott–Schottky analysis. As a result of the Fe doping, an indirect bandgap of 3.0 eV was estimated using Tauc’s plot, and this substantial red‐shift extends its photoresponse to visible light. From the Mott–Schottky analysis, the flat‐band potential (E_fb) and the charge carrier concentration (N_D) were determined to be ?0.95 V vs Ag/AgCl and 5.0 ×10¹⁹ cm^?3 respectively for the Fe‐doped TiO₂nts, whilst for the undoped TiO₂nts, E_fb of ?0.85 V vs Ag/AgCl and N_D of 6.5×10¹⁹ cm^?3 were obtained.     

Plasmonic Ag/AgCl‐modified bismuth subcarbonate with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Plasmonic Ag/AgCl‐modified bismuth subcarbonate (Bi₂O₂CO₃) composites were prepared by a multistep process with hydrothermal, deposition, and photoreduction in the absence of organic capping agents. The properties of the obtained Ag/AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃ samples were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron, UV–visible diffuse reflectance, and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The results reveal that Ag/AgCl nanoparticles are dispersed on the Bi₂O₂CO₃ surface to achieve plasmonic Ag/AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃. The Ag/AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃ nanocomposites show improved rhodamine B (RhB) adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity compared with pure Bi₂O₂CO₃ and Ag/AgCl. In addition, the Ag/AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃ composite with 20 wt% Ag/AgCl exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity and remains stable for the photodegradation of RhB under visible light. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃ may be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of in situ generated Ag nanoparticles and synergistic effect of Ag/AgCl and Bi₂O₂CO₃, which increase the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs under visible light irradiation.     

Micelle‐Directing Synthesis of Ag‐Doped WO3 and MoO3 Composites for Photocatalytic Water Oxidation and Organic‐Dye Adsorption

In this paper, an Ag‐doped WO₃ (and MoO₃) composite has been prepared by following a simple micelle‐directed method and high‐temperature sintering route. The as‐prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The photocatalytic experiments reveal that their oxygen‐production rates are up to 95.43 μmol (75.45 μmol) for Ag‐doped WO₃ (MoO₃), which is 9.5 (7.3) times higher than that of pure WO₃: 9.012 μmol (MoO₃: 9.00 μmol) under visible‐light illumination (λ ≥420 nm), respectively. The improvement of their photocatalytic activity is attributed to the enhancement of their visible‐light absorption and the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers by Ag doping. Moreover, Ag‐doped WO₃ (MoO₃) also shows excellent adsorption of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution, with maximum adsorption capacities towards RhB and MB of 822 and 820 mg g⁻¹ for Ag‐doped WO₃, and 642 and 805 mg g⁻¹ for Ag‐doped MoO₃, respectively.     

Microemulsion synthesis, characterization of highly visible light responsive rare Earth-doped bi(2) o(3)

In this paper, Bi₂O₃ and rare earth (La, Ce)‐doped Bi₂O₃ visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts were prepared in a Triton X‐100/n‐hexanol/cyclohexane/water reverse microemulsion. The resulting materials were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, photoluminescence spectra (PLS) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the as‐prepared catalysts calcined at 500°C exhibited only the characteristic peaks of monoclinic α‐Bi₂O₃. PLS analysis implied that the separation efficiency for electron‐hole has been enhanced when Bi₂O₃ was doped with rare earth. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements presented an extension of light absorption into the visible region. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) and 2,4‐dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP). The results displayed that the photocatalytic activity of rare earth‐doped Bi₂O₃ was higher than that of dopant‐free Bi₂O₃. The optimal dopant amount of La or Ce was 1.0 mol%. And the mechanisms of influence on the photocatalytic activity of the catalysts were discussed.     

Samarium and Nitrogen Co‐Doped Bi2WO6 Photocatalysts: Synergistic Effect of Sm3+/Sm2+ Redox Centers and N‐Doped Level for Enhancing Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Samarium and nitrogen co‐doped Bi₂WO₆ nanosheets were successfully synthesized by using a hydrothermal method. The crystal structures, morphology, elemental compositions, and optical properties of the prepared samples were investigated. The incorporation of samarium and nitrogen ions into Bi₂WO₆ was proved by X‐ray diffraction, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicated that the samarium and nitrogen co‐doped Bi₂WO₆ possessed strong visible‐light absorption. Remarkably, the samarium and nitrogen co‐doped Bi₂WO₆ exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than single‐doped and pure Bi₂WO₆ under visible‐light irradiation. Radical trapping experiments indicated that holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals ( ^. O₂^?) were the main active species. The results of photoluminescence spectroscopy and photocurrent measurements demonstrated that the recombination rate of the photogenerated electrons and holes pairs was greatly depressed. The enhanced activity was attributed to the synergistic effect of the in‐built Sm³⁺/Sm²⁺ redox pair centers and the N‐doped level. The mechanism of the excellent photocatalytic activity of Sm‐N‐Bi₂WO₆ is also discussed.     

Effect of Erbium on the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/Ag Nanocomposites under Visible Light Irradiation

Erbium co‐doped TiO₂/Ag catalysts are synthesized by using a simple, one‐step solvothermal method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman analysis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The catalysts exhibit anatase crystal structures with increased visible light absorption compared with pure TiO₂. Enhanced photocatalytic activity is observed with Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag nanocomposites for Rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of 1 % Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag is much higher than that of TiO₂/Ag, TiO₂/Er, pure TiO₂, and commercial Degussa P25. The kinetics of the degradation process are studied and the pseudo‐first‐order rate constant (k) and half‐life time (t_1/2) of the reaction are calculated. The enhanced activity might be accredited to the efficient separation of electron–hole pairs by silver and higher visible light absorption of TiO₂ induced by Er.     

Improved Photocatalytic Activity and Stability of Nano‐sized Ag/Ag2CO3 Plasmonic Photocatalyst by Surface Modification of Fe(III) Nanocluster

The surface modification of Ag/Ag₂CO₃ with Fe(III) ions has been achieved through simply photoreduction‐impregnation method. The obtained products were characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy. Under visible‐light irradiation (γ>420 nm), the Fe(III)/Ag/Ag₂CO₃ sample displays a higher photocatalytic activity and stability than pure Ag₂CO₃ and Ag/Ag₂CO₃ samples for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The improved photocatalytic activity and stability of this ternary system could be ascribed to the synergetic effect between Ag nanoparticles and Fe(III) nanocluster. The metallic Ag nanoparticles cause an obviously enhanced visible‐light absorption to produce more photogenerated charges, while the Fe(III) works as an active site for the following oxygen reduction to reduce the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes.     

A Simple Method for the Preparation of TiO2/Ag‐AgCl@Polypyrrole Composite and Its Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

A novel and facile method was developed to prepare a visible‐light driven TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@polypyrrole (PPy) photocatalyst with Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles supported on TiO₂ nanofibers and covered by a thin PPy shell. During the synthesis, the PPy shell and Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles were prepared simultaneously onto TiO₂ nanofibers, which simplified the preparation procedure. In addition, because Ag‐AgCl aggregates were fabricated via partly etching the Ag nanoparticles, their size was well controlled at the nanoscale, which was beneficial for improvement of the contact surface area. Compared with reference photocatalysts, the TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@PPy composite exhibited an enhanced photodegradation activity towards rhodamine B under visible‐light irradiation. The superior photocatalytic property originated from synergistic effects between TiO₂ nanofibers, Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles and the PPy shell. Furthermore, the TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@PPy composite could be easily separated and recycled without obvious reduction in activity.     

Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3三元复合物光催化剂的性能增强机制

半导体光催化技术是一种环境友好技术,它既能在温和条件下应用于环境领域——利用光能降解有机和无机污染物,又可应用于能源领域——将低密度的太阳能转化为高密度的洁净能源,因而在解决环境污染和能源匮乏问题方面展现出巨大的应用潜力.最近,一种新型Bi基光催化剂, BiOIO3,表现出优异的紫外光催化性能.它由层状[Bi2O2]2+和[IO3]?组装而成,带隙为3.1 eV左右.然而,其较大的带隙限制了其对太阳光的利用.近年来,多种方法如金属掺杂、非金属掺杂、半导体复合、光敏化改性和加氢处理被用来提高半导体的光催化效率.其中,以Ag/AgX (X=Cl, I和Br)作为助催化剂可提高体系的可见光吸收和载流子的分离能力,从而增强光催化性能.基于此,我们设计并合成了一种新型的三元光催化剂.首先采用水热法合成了BiOIO3纳米片,然后在室温条件下原位引进Ag/AgCl,制备了Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3三元异质结构.与Ag/AgCl和纯的BiOIO3相比,该三元Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3复合物光催化剂对NO表现出优异的可见光光催化去除性能.本文采用X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描式电子显微镜(SEM)、电化学测试(光电流和阻抗谱)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis)等表征手段研究了Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3光催化性能增强的机制. SEM结果表明,制备的Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3三元复合物为纳米颗粒和纳米片形貌, Ag/AgCl的引入对BiOIO3形貌影响不大. XRD和XPS测试结果表明,与纯的BiOIO3相比,随着Ag/AgCl 的加入,复合物的峰位置发生了明显位移,表明Ag, AgCl和BiOIO3三组分间存在强的相互作用.光电流响应图谱表明,随着Ag/AgCl的加入, Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3的光电流强度明显增强,同时阻抗谱的圆弧直径明显减小,表明电子和空穴的分离能力增强. UV-Vis图谱中, BiOIO3在可见光区几乎没有吸收,而三元复合物表现出明显的可见光吸收,且随着Ag/AgCl量的增加,复合物的可见光吸收增强,该吸收归结于复合物中Ag的表面等离子体吸收.结合之前报道的光催化剂体系如Ag/AgCl和Ag/AgCl/TiO2,我们提出了Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3复合物光催化剂性能增强的机制.在可见光照射下, Ag0因其表面等离子体吸收而产生电子空穴对.由于功函数不同, Ag和BiOIO3之间形成肖特基势垒.电子从Ag0表面转移到BiOIO3的导带上, BiOIO3导带上电子的电势不足以把O2氧化成?O2?,但电子能以多电子的形式与O2和H+生成水.同时, Ag0表面的空穴能将AgCl表面的Cl?氧化成Cl0.光照诱导AgCl表面的部分Ag+离子被还原,所以AgCl粒子的表面带负电荷. Cl0是活性自由基,能够氧化去除NO,反应之后自身被还原成Cl?.由此可见,在三元复合光催化剂中, Ag0在可见光照射下因其表面等离子体效应产生电子空穴对,随后BiOIO3有效地分离了光生载流子,使得复合材料能有效地利用光生电子和空穴.故三元Ag/AgCl/BiOIO3复合物光催化剂增强的光催化性能可归结于Ag的表面等离子体吸收和BiOIO3的载流子分离能力.该结果有助于设计和制备具有优异的光催化性能的BiOIO3基材料.     

Enhanced visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic activity of F doped reduced graphene oxide ‐ Bi2WO6 photocatalyst

The reduced graphene oxide‐Bi₂WO₆ (rGO‐BWO) photocatalysts with the different R_F/O values (molar ratio of the F molar mass and the O's molar mass of Bi₂WO₆) had been successfully synthesized via one‐step hydrothermal method. The F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction patterns (XRD), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐ESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (BET), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results indicate that F^? ions had been successfully doped into rGO‐BWO samples. With the increasing of the R_F/O values from 0 to 2%, the evident change of the morphology and the absorption edges of F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples and the photocatalytic activities had been enhanced. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of F‐doped rGO‐BWO with R_F/O = 0.05 were better than rGO‐BWO and the other F‐doped rGO‐BWO under 500 W Xe lamp light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the morphology of the intact microsphere that signify the bigger specific surface area for providing more possible reaction sites for the adsorption–desorption equilibrium of photocatalytic reaction, the introduction of F^? ions that may cause the enhancement of surface acidity and creation of oxygen vacancies under visible light irradiation, the narrower band gap which means needing less energy for the electron hole pair transition.     

Rapid microwave-assisted nonaqueous synthesis and growth mechanism of AgCl/Ag, and its daylight-driven plasmonic photocatalysis

We report on a rapid microwave‐assisted nonaqueous synthesis and the growth mechanism of AgCl/Ag with controlled size and shape. By rationally varying the reaction temperature and the microwave irradiation time, we achieved the transformation of nanocubes to rounded triangular pyramids by a combined process of “oriented attachment” and Ostwald ripening. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties of the as‐prepared AgCl/Ag have been found to be somewhat dependent on the size, morphology, and composition. The as‐prepared AgCl/Ag exhibits high photocatalytic activity and good reusability for decomposing organic pollutants (such as methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and pentachlorophenol (PCP)) under indoor artificial daylight illumination (ca. 1 mW cm^?2). The AgCl/Ag has also been found to display a superior ability to harvest diffuse indoor daylight (ca. 5 mW cm^?2), and could complete the degradation of 10 mg L ^?1 MO within 15 min. Experiments involving the trapping of active species have shown that the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in the AgCl/Ag system may proceed through direct hole transfer. This study has revealed that plasmonic daylight photocatalysis may open a new frontier for indoor pollutant control around the clock under fluorescent lamp illumination.     

Synthesis of Bi-doped TiO2 Nanotubes and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution from Glycerol Solution

Bi‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes with variable Bi/Ti ratios were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment in 10 mol·L^?1 NaOH (aq.) through using Bi‐doped TiO₂ particles derived from conventional sol‐gel method as starting materials. The effects of Bi content on the morphology, textural properties, photo absorption and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) observations of the obtained samples revealed the formation of titanate nanotube structure doped with Bi, which exists as a higher oxidation state than Bi³⁺. Bi‐doping TiO₂ nanotubes exhibited an extension of light absorption into the visible region and improved photocatalytic activities for hydrogen production from a glycerol/water mixed solution as compared with pure TiO₂ nanotubes. There was an optimal Bi‐doped content for the photocatalytic hydrogen production, and high content of Bi would retard the phase transition of titanate to anatase and result in morphology change from nanotube to nanobelt, which in turn decreases the photocatlytic activity for hydrogen evolution.     

Preparation,activity and photocatalysis mechanism of high‐performance AgBrO3/AgBr photocatalysts

AgBrO₃/AgBr compound photocatalysts were prepared via a precipitation method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffusion spectroscopy, and solid surface fluorescence trials. The photocatalytic performances and mechanism were also investigated. It was found the 2.5 wt.% AgBrO₃/AgBr compound photocatalyst was most effective in dye degradation. The AgBrO₃/AgBr showed degradation rate up to 94.5% in a 10 mg/L MO (Methyl Orange) solution and was still very stable after five cycles of reuse. The AgBrO₃/AgBr photocatalysts could oxidize and decompose methyl orange molecules under visible light irradiation. The compounding largely improved the photocatalytic activity of AgBr. Photocatalytic mechanism experiments showed ·OH was the major active species.     

Visible‐Light‐Activated C−C Bond Cleavage and Aerobic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohols Employing BiMXO5 (M=Mg,Cd, Ni,Co, Pb,Ca and X=V,P)

The synthesis, structure, optical and photocatalytic studies of a family of compounds with the general formula, BiMXO₅; M=Mg, Cd, Ni, Co, Pb, Ca and X=V, P is presented. The compounds were prepared by regular solid‐state reaction of constituents in the temperature range of 720–810 °C for 24 h. The compounds were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) methods. The Rietveld refinement of the PXRD patterns have been carried out to establish the structure. The optical absorption spectra along with the colors in daylight have been explained employing the allowed d‐d transition. In addition, the observed colors of some of the V⁵⁺ containing compounds were explained using metal‐to‐metal charge transfer (MMCT) from the partially filled transition‐metal 3d orbitals to the empty 3d orbitals of V⁵⁺ ions. The near IR (NIR) reflectivity studies indicate that many compounds exhibit good NIR reflectivity, suggesting that these compounds can be employed as ‘cool pigments’. The experimentally determined band gaps of the prepared compounds were found to be suitable to exploit them for visible light activated photocatalysis. Photocatalytic C?C bond cleavage of alkenes and aerobic oxidation of alcohols were investigated employing visible light, which gave good yields and selectivity. The present study clearly demonstrated the versatility of the Paganoite family of compounds (BiMXO₅) towards new colored inorganic materials, visible‐light photocatalysts and ‘cool pigments’.