Preparation and characterization of Ag3PO4/BiOI composites with enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic performance

• Ag3PO4/BiOI was prepared by a facile room temperature liquid phase method.
• Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on BiOI nanosheets.
• The best photocatalytic performance was obtained for Ag/Bi weight ratio of 0.3.
• The photocatalytic efficiency of Ag3PO4/BiOI was nearly 10 times that of BiOI.
• The enhancement of photocatalytic activity was related with the coupling effects.

Ag3PO4/BiOI composites were successfully prepared by a facial room temperature liquid phase method. Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on the surface of BiOI nanosheets. The photodegradation tests show that the photocatalytic efficiency was increased at first and then decreased when further increasing Ag3PO4 content in the composites. The best photocatalytic performance was obtained for the sample with Ag/Bi ratio of 0.3 and the photodegradation efficiency of Ag3PO4/BiOI was nearly 10 times that of BiOI. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composites was due to the improved photogenerated carrier separation capacity, being induced by the coupling effects of the two semiconductors.

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