Integration of BiOI and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles onto oxygen vacancy rich-TiO2 for efficient visible-light photocatalytic decontaminations

Abstract To develop an impressive photocatalyst for purification of environmental contaminants, BiOI and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were adhered on the oxygen vacancy rich-TiO2 (denoted as TOx ) via a facile ultrasonic-assisted procedure to form TiO2-x/BiOI/Ag3PO4 (signify as TOx/BOI/APO) nanocomposites. Then, the physiochemical features of the nanocomposites were characterized via various techniques. It was discovered that the ternary photocatalyst with 10 wt% of APO demonstrates the greatest ability in elimination of RhB, which is almost 44.3, 4.12, and 2.18-folds premier than the bare TiO2, TOx, and TOx/BOI (20 %) materials, respectively. This excellent boosted photoability was ascribed to the p-n-n heterojunctions among the components, great visible-light absorption via BOI and APO semiconductors, and effective segregation of charges. An acceptable mechanism was also suggested through scavenging tests and the results of Mott-Schottky plots. This study displayed that the construction and rational design of p-n-n heterojunctions could be effective for extremely improving visible-light-induced photocatalytic performances for energy and environmental applications.