Highly efficient visible light degradation of Rhodamine B by nanophasic Ag3PO4 dispersed on SBA-15

•Ag3PO4-SBA-15 nanocomposite is a highly efficient visible light photocatalyst.•Ag content of the nanocomposite was 1.69 wt% but performed the same as pure Ag3PO4.•Under visible light, 90% of Rhodamine B was decomposed in 70 min by compositing.•Ag3PO4 crystals of about 14 nm were well dispersed on the surfaces of the SBA-15.

To improve the catalytic property and reduce the silver consumption, nanophase of silver phosphate was dispersed on the SBA-15 to form the Ag3PO4-SBA-15 nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that crystals of Ag3PO4 of about 14 nm were well dispersed on the surfaces of the SBA-15. Although the surface area of Ag3PO4-SBA-15 decreased compared to the original SBA-15 because of blocked pores by Ag3PO4, there was sufficient adsorption of Rhodamine B leading to its efficient catalytic degradation in visible light. The silver content of the nanocomposite was only 1.69 wt% compared to the 77.3% for pure Ag3PO4 but their catalytic performance was about the same because of well-dispersed nanophase of Ag3PO4 in the former. Under the visible illumination for 70 min, the Rhodamine B concentration decreased to about 10% in both cases suggesting that the new nanocomposite is a highly efficient and cost-effective photocatalyst.

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