Synthesis of Ag3PO4-Bi2O2CO3 composites with high visible-light photocatalytic activity

Ag3PO4-Bi2O2CO3 composites were prepared by a combination of hydrothermal technique and precipitation method for the first time. Ag3PO4 nanoparticles with ca. 200 nm in size were attached to the surface of Bi2O2CO3 microspheres in diameter of 1-2 mu m, which had higher photocatalytic activity than Bi2O2CO3 microspheres toward degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in water under visible light irradiation. The Ag3PO4-Bi2O2CO3 composite with the molar ratio of Ag3PO4:Bi2O2CO3=1:1 exhibited the highest photodegradation efficiency of RhB (97% in 30 min), which was about 22 times of pure Bi2O2CO3 microspheres. The enhanced photoactivity could be ascribed to more light harvest and more effective separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.