Synthesis of fern-like Ag/AgCl/CaTiO3 plasmonic photocatalysts and their enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties

Abstract

A novel visible-light-driven photocatalyst Ag/AgCl/CaTiO₃ was successfully synthesized via a simple ultrasonic assisted precipitation–photoreduction process. The morphologies, phase structures as well as optical properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectra and photoluminescence emission spectra (PL). The photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgCl/CaTiO₃ was examined by the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation. Experimental results showed that the composites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than pure CaTiO₃ and Ag/AgCl. Among them, the Ag/AgCl-5/CaTiO₃ composite exhibited the optimal photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Ag/AgCl/CaTiO₃ photocatalyst was attributed predominantly to the synergetic effect between the Ag/AgCl nanoparticles and the fern-like CaTiO₃ nanoparticles, which was superior for the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Based on the band structure analysis and trapping experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for Ag/AgCl/CaTiO₃ was put forward.