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Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Ag-decorated BiFeO3 in visible light region

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Abstract

In this paper, a novel photocatalyst, made up of Ag/BiFeO3 nanocomposites activated by visible light, was successfully synthesized using a sol–gel process, followed by a chemical reduction method. The as-prepared BiFeO3 particles and Ag/BiFeO3 nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results showed that the metal Ag nanoparticles with diameter of 20–50 nm are anchored on the surface of BiFeO3. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic experiments demonstrated that the Ag/BiFeO3 composites had excellent photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of methyl orange in visible light, which far exceeded that of the pure BiFeO3. These results revealed Ag loading could significantly improve the photocatalytic property of BiFeO3. Recycle experiments showed the nanocomposites had an excellent recoverability, suggesting stable photoactivity. Finally, we discuss the photocatalytic mechanism of nanocomposites. The enhanced photoactivity of Ag-decorated BiFeO3 photocatalyst is most likely attributed to the electronic effect of Ag nanoparticles including surface plasmon resonance.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51202040, 21363006), Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (2013GXNSFBA019042, 2012GXNSFBA053032) and scientific research projects of Guangxi Education (200103YB059, 201106LX243).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, People’s Republic of China

    Huidan Lu, Zhenyu Du, Jixiang Wang & Yongping Liu

  2. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magnetochemical Function Materials, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, People’s Republic of China

    Huidan Lu & Yongping Liu

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  1. Huidan Lu
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  2. Zhenyu Du
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  3. Jixiang Wang
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  4. Yongping Liu
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Correspondence to Yongping Liu.

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Lu, H., Du, Z., Wang, J. et al. Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Ag-decorated BiFeO3 in visible light region. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 76, 50–57 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3749-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3749-6

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