Highly efficient photocatalytic treatment of dye wastewater via visible-light-driven AgBr–Ag3PO4/MWCNTs

• The combination of AgBr–Ag3PO4 and MWCNTs efficiently reduced its photocorrosion.
• Mechanisms of enhanced photocatalytic activity of AgBr–Ag3PO4/MWCNTs were revealed.
• Possible degradation pathways of basic fuchsin and basic red 9 were proposed.

A high-performance photocatalyst of AgBr–Ag3PO4/MWCNTs was fabricated by chemical precipitation method using hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, (NH4)2HPO4 and AgNO3 in the presence of MWCNTs. The photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst was evaluated by decomposing mixed dye of basic fuchsin and basic red 9. About 99% of decolorization and 47% of mineralization were achieved under visible-light irradiation for 10 min. The mechanisms of enhanced photocatalytic activity of AgBr–Ag3PO4/MWCNTs and degradation pathways of basic fuchsin and basic red 9 were investigated in detail.

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