Polyvinylpyrrolidone assisted-preparation of AgBr with enhanced visible light responsive photocatalytic activity

In this paper, AgBr photocatalyst was prepared by a precipitation method using silver nitrate and potassium bromide as raw materials. The effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the preparation and photocatalytic property of AgBr were investigated. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Xray diffraction (XRD), surface photovoltage (SPS), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and specific surface area (BET). Using rhodamine B as a model pollutant, photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst prepared was tested under visible light irradiation. The results indicate that AgBr prepared by adding of PVP has superior photocatalytic activity. Under visible light irradiation, the destruction rate constant of rhodamine B (RhB) on PVP-AgBr is 4.79 times of that on the reference AgBr.

Automated summary

AgBr photocatalyst was prepared using silver nitrate and potassium bromide, and the effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on its preparation and photocatalytic performance were investigated. The results show that AgBr prepared with the addition of PVP exhibits superior photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.