Preparation of Ag3PO4/TiO2(B) Heterojunction Nanobelt with Extended Light Response and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Photocatalytic degradation, as an emerging method to control environmental pollution, is considered one of the most promising environmental purification technologies. As Tibet is a region with some of the strongest solar radiation in China and even in the world, it is extremely rich in solar energy resources, which is ideal for applying photocatalytic technology to its ecological environment protection and governance. In this study, Na₂Ti₃O₇ nanobelts were prepared via a hydrothermal method and converted to TiO₂∙xH₂O ion exchange, which was followed by high-temperature calcination to prepare TiO₂(B) nanobelts (“B” in TiO₂(B) means “Bronze phase”). A simple in situ method was used to generate Ag₃PO₄ particles on the surface of the TiO₂ nanobelts to construct a Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂(B) heterojunction composite photocatalyst. By generating Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles on the surface of the TiO₂(B) nanobelts to construct heterojunctions, the light absorption range of the photocatalyst was successfully extended from UV (ultraviolet) to the visible region. Furthermore, the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs in the catalyst was inhibited by the construction of the heterojunctions, thus greatly enhancing its light quantum efficiency. Therefore, the prepared Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂(B) heterojunction composite photocatalyst greatly outperformed the TiO₂(B) nanobelt in terms of photocatalytic degradation.