Preparation and characterization of Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites with highly visible-light-induced photocatalytic properties

Heterostructure Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites were prepared by a hydrothermal-precipitation combination. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the formation of monoclinic Ag3VO4 nanoparticles with the size of 7-12 nm adsorbed on orthorhombic Bi2MoO6 nanoplates. The photocatalytic properties of pure Bi2MoO6, 1.0 wt% Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6, 2.5 wt% Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6, 5.0 wt% Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 and 10.0 wt% Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 photocatalysts were investigated through photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light for 100 min. In this research, the 10.0 wt% Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light. A possible photodegradation mechanism of RhB by Ag3VO4/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites was also proposed and discussed.