Facile one-pot method for preparation of AgI/ZnO nanocomposites as visible-light-driven photocatalysts with enhanced activities

Herein, we have developed a facile one-pot approach for preparation of AgI/ZnO nanocomposites with different mole fractions of silver iodide in a low temperature of 96 °C in water. The preparation method is simple, large-scale, and low-temperature and does not require any additives and post preparation treatments. The nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated by degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation and exhibited that the mole fraction of AgI has a remarkable influence on the photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposite with 0.188 mol fraction of AgI has superior activity relative to the other samples. Six-fold enhancing of the rate constant was seen for the nanocomposite relative to the ZnO nanostructures. Finally, influence of refluxing time, calcination temperature, and scavengers of reactive species on the degradation activity was investigated and the results were discussed.