Photocatalytic properties of aluminum oxynitride (AlON)

Aluminum oxynitride (AlON) powder was prepared using a carbothermal reduction and nitridation method. The products were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, which confirmed the typical spinel AlON phase with sub-micro particle size. UV-vis absorption spectra revealed that the AlON has a band-gap of about 5.2 eV and shows a weak absorption in the wavelength of 240-400 nm, which could be caused by defects in crystal. In addition, the AlON exhibits good photocatalytic properties for degrading methyl orange (MO) under UV light illumination, suggesting that AlON could be a potential photocatalyst. Based on the intrinsic non-stoichiometry properties of AlON, the photocatalytic ability of AlON is related to its defect microstructures, which can promote the effective separation of electron-hole pairs.