Co3O4 nanoparticles decorated Ag3PO4 tetrapods as an efficient visible-light-driven heterojunction photocatalyst

Novel Ag3PO4 tetrapods with exposed {1 1 1} facets were synthesized via a facile precipitation method, and then Co3O4 nanoparticles were decorated on the surface of Ag3PO4 tetrapods using an impregnation method. On top of the superior photocatalytic performance of highly reactive {1 1 1} facets of Ag3PO4 tetrapods, the Co3O4/Ag3PO4 heterostructured photocatalyst exhibited further improved efficiency in photodegrading methyl blue (MB) under visible light irradiation (>400 nm). In addition, the Co3O4 content and calcination temperature had significant impacts on the photocatalytic activities of the samples. The highest efficiency was observed on the 2.0 wt% Co3O4/Ag3PO4 heterojunction calcined at 673 K. The improved photocatalytic performance could be mainly attributed to accelerated electron-hole separation by p-n junctions in Co3O4/Ag3PO4 heterojunction, and the enhanced structural stabilities may be due to the protection of insoluble Co3O4 and the effect of Ag-0 on the surface of Ag3PO4. Moreover, h(+) played the major role in the MB decolorization. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.