One-pot preparation of AgBr/AgIO3 photocatalysts: Effects of CTAB amount on the morphology and photocatalytic performance

Abstract AgBr/AgIO3 composite photocatalysts were prepared through a one-pot AgBr precipitation on the surface AgIO3 with a wide band gap. As the morphology control agent and Br− source, the Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) addition greatly influenced the morphology and photocatalytic performance. The morphologies of the product changed from plate-like particles to fine ones with increasing amount of CTAB. The photocatalytic organic dye degradation and sterilization performances of the composites were investigated using Rhodamine B (RhB) and Staphylococcus aureus as target pollutants. Whether a xenon lamp or a low-energy Light Emitting Diode (LED) was used as the light source, the AgBr/AgIO3 composites had a better visible light catalytic degradation performance than pure AgBr and AgIO3. The RhB degradation efficiency reached 100% under xenon lamp light irradiation for 50 min, which was 3.95 times higher than that of pure AgBr. Simultaneously, the AgBr/AgIO3 composites had an excellent photocatalytic performance against S. aureus. After 50 min LED light irradiation, the S. aureus inactivation efficiency reached 94.3%. The combination of AgBr and AgIO3 significantly enhanced the visible light absorption and photocatalytic stability, and enabled high transfer and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The addition of CTAB reduced the size of AgIO3 nanoparticles and increased the contact area with pollutant molecules and bacteria, thereby pointing out the prospective applications of silver based photocatalysts in industrial and medical wastewater.