Ag/Bi12O17Cl2 composite: A case study of visible-light-driven plasmonic photocatalyst

In this investigation, novel Ag/Bi12O17C12 plasmonic composites with different Ag contents were constructed through a solvothermal and subsequent photoreduction route and fully characterized by a collection of analytical techniques. Spectroscopic results confirmed the presence and uniform dispersion of Ag nanoparticles on the 2D nanosheets of Bi12O17C12. The Ag content in composites exerted considerable influence on the extension of light-adsorption range and the enlargement of specific surface areas. The photocatalytic abilities of these Ag/Bi12O17C12 composites were evaluated toward the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under the visible-light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the Ag/Bi12O17C12 composites showed much higher photocatalytic efficiencies than that of pure Bi12O17C12, especially the sample with an optimal Ag content showing the best photocatalytic behavior among all tested samples. The remarkable enhancement of Ag/Bi12O17C12 photocatalytic efficiency could be mainly attributed to the efficient charge separation that was induced by the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of metallic Ag, strong visible-light adsorption and the favorable morphology with enlarged specific surface areas. Eventually, the photocatalysis mechanism over Ag/Bi12O17C12 composites was preliminarily proposed on the base of reactive species trapping experiments. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.