Synthesis and photocatalytic property of a novel Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 photocatalyst

Using Bi12O17Cl2, AgNO3 and Na2S as raw materials, a new Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 composite with solar response was prepared by coprecipitation method. The Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 was characterized through XRD, XPS, SEM, PL and photocurrent, etc. The photocatalytic degraded efficiency of Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 for rhodamine B and crystal violet was investigated under simulated sunlight. Moreover, the results show that compared with pure Bi12O17Cl2 and Ag2S, Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 composites can effectively promote the separation of photogenerated charge and enhance light absorption ability. The photocatalytic degraded efficiency was greatly improved and kept stability. Finally, combined with the electronic band structures of Ag2S and Bi12O17Cl2, a reasonable mechanism was speculated.

Automated summary

A new Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 composite with solar response was successfully prepared by coprecipitation method using Bi12O17Cl2, AgNO3, and Na2S as raw materials. The Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 was characterized through XRD, XPS, SEM, PL, and photocurrent analysis. The photocatalytic degraded efficiency of Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 was investigated for rhodamine B and crystal violet under simulated sunlight. The results showed that Ag2S/Bi12O17Cl2 composites effectively promoted the separation of photogenerated charge and enhanced light absorption ability compared to pure Bi12O17Cl2 and Ag2S. The photocatalytic degraded efficiency was significantly improved and remained stable. Finally, a reasonable mechanism was proposed based on the electronic band structures of Ag2S and Bi12O17Cl2.