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Photoelectrochemical characterization of the hetero-junction Ag/CuBi2O4 application under visible light irradiation

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Abstract

The hetero-junction Ag/CuBi2O4 synthesized for the first time by sol gel method using citrate as chelating agent was characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM analysis, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance and photo-electrochemistry. The oxide crystallizes in a tetragonal structure with lattice constants: a = 8.502(3) Å and c = 5.825(0) Å. The oxide is stable at neutral pH and the capacitance-potential (C−2–E) plot in Na2SO4 (0.1 M) electrolyte gave a flat band potential of (Efb) 0.32 VSCE. The p-type semi conductivity was demonstrated by the negative slope of the (C−2–E) graph and corroborated by the cathodic current in the chrono-amperometric profile (J–t), due to the Cu-insertion in the CuO4 tetrahedron. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was undertaken to elucidate the semiconductor/electrolyte interfacial phenomena. The depressive arc at high frequencies centred below the real axis is assigned to the bulk contribution with a constant phase element. The conduction band (− 1.01 VSCE) made up of Bi3+: 6p with a small admixture of O2−: 2p orbital is more negative than the potential of O2/O2. couple. As application, the photocatalytic performance of the hetero-junction was evaluated by the degradation of methyl violet by the superoxide O2.−. An abatement of 65% was obtained on Ag/CuBi2O4 under visible light irradiation (12 mW cm−2) compared to the spinel alone (56%).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Amar Manseri for his technical assistance in SEM analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by the Faculty of Chemistry Grant N° B00L01UN160420190020 (USTHB; Algiers).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Electrochemistry-Corrosion, Metallurgy and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    A. M. Djaballah, R. Bagtache & S. Tartaya

  2. Laboratory of Storage and Valorisation of Renewable Energies, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    M. Trari

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  1. A. M. Djaballah
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Contributions

AMD did the electrochemistry measurement and wrote the draft manuscript. RB supervised, formally analysed the article. ST did the application part and drew the graphics. MT wrote and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to R. Bagtache or M. Trari.

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Djaballah, A.M., Bagtache, R., Tartaya, S. et al. Photoelectrochemical characterization of the hetero-junction Ag/CuBi2O4 application under visible light irradiation. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 1555–1566 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-07673-w

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