Synthesize and characterize of Ag3VO4/TiO2 nanorods photocatalysts and its photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

In this paper, in order to expand the light response range of TiO2, Ag3VO4/TiO2 nanorods photocatalysts were fabricated by a simple sol-gel method with microwave and hydrothermal method. The as -prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, DRS, XPS and N2 adsorption -desorption. Meanwhile, their photocatalytic properties were investigated by the degradation of toluene under visible light irradiation. The degradation conversation of toluene had gotten to about 70% in 1% Ag3VO4/TiO2 nanorods after reaction 4 h. The predominant photocatalytic activity can be attributed to its strong absorption in visible light region and excellent charge separation characteristics. By using in situ FTIR, benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde species could be observed during the reaction and the formed intermediates would be partially oxidized into CO2 and H2O. Electron spin resonance confirmed that OH* and Of were involved in the photocatalytic degradation of toluene. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.