Preparation of M@BiFeO3 Nanocomposites (M=Ag, Au) Bowl Arrays with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity

High surface area BiFeO3 (BFO) bowl arrays photocatalyst loaded with different size noble metal nanoparticles were successfully prepared by combining templates method and thermal evaporation followed by heating. The structural and optical properties of the BiFeO3 bowl arrays and the composite M@BFO bowl arrays (M=Ag, Au) were comparatively characterized. The composite M@BFO bowl arrays showed much higher photocatalytic performance than the pure BFO bowl arrays. The enhanced photocatalytic property of the composite structure could be ascribed to the enhanced near-field amplitudes of localized surface plasmon of the noble metal nanoparticles which boost the separation of electron-hole pairs and the transfer mechanism of electrons.