Microwave hydrothermal synthesis of AgInS2 with visible light photocatalytic activity

AgInS2 nanoparticles with superior visible light photocatalytic activity were successfully synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal method. This method is a highly efficient and rapid route that involves no organic solvents, catalysts, or surfactants. The photocatalytic activity of AgInS2 nanoparticles was investigated through the degradation of dyes under visible light irradiation. Compared with TiO2-xNx, AgInS2 has exhibited a superior activity for photocatalytic degradation MO under the same condition. The experiment results showed that superoxide radicals (O-2(center dot-)), hydrogen peroxides (H2O2) and holes (h(+)) were the mainly active species for the degradation of organic pollutants over AgInS2. Through the determination of flat band potential, the energy band structure of the sample was obtained. A possible mechanism for the degradation of organic pollutant over AgInS2 was proposed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.