Synthesis of novel silver vanadates with high photocatalytic and antibacterial activities

• A novel synthesis method of silver vanadates by ultrasound and microwave assistance.
• UV–vis spectra of silver vanadates showed an intense absorption band at 470–500 nm.
• Silver vanadates exhibited high activity in the MB degradation under visible light.
• Silver vanadates also showed excellent antibacterial activities.

Nano-structured silver vanadates were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal treatment assisted by ultrasound and micro-wave techniques. The obtained silver vanadates were characterized by XRD, XPS, UV–vis and TEM. It showed that the silver vanadates have a nano-structure with the shape of nano-rods (diameter of 50–200 nm and length of 0.5–2.0 μm). Interestingly, silver vanadates showed a strong light absorbance in the visible light region at 470–500 nm. In comparison to TiO2 nanoparticles, silver vanadates exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity in the degradation of Methylene Blue under visible light irradiation. Moreover, these silver vanadates also exhibited high antibacterial activity, opening their high potential applications in environmental treatment.