A novel photocatalyst PbSb2O6 for degradation of methylene blue

PbSb2O6 powder was synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The specimen was characterized by X-ray diffraction and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. PbSb2O6 has an intrinsic indirect band gap of 3.54 eV. Generally, the photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue over PbSb2O6 is higher than that over rutile-type TiO2 under UV light illumination. The catalytic performance was discussed in close conjunction with the calculated band structure and crystal structure. The mechanisms of the pH-dependent photodegradation were proposed. The effects of photocatalyst concentration and Pt loading in suspending aqueous solution were also presented.

PbSb2O6 is more active in photodegrading MB than rutile TiO2 under UV light illumination. The 1 wt.% Pt dispersion on PbSb2O6 powder surface doubles the photocatalytic efficiency. Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide