As the world population continues to grow and access to modern industry becomes increasingly common, humanity finds itself in the midst of an environmental and energy crisis. Natural resources such as clean water are becoming increasingly scarce. A recent development in the scientific community is the study of semiconducting photocatalytic nanomaterials as a potential solution. Photocatalysts are among the most promising solutions since these materials can directly convert abundant solar energy into usable energy resources, and produce hydroxyl group radicals which can proceed to decompose pollutants or deactivate certain microbes in a given medium. However, it is often difficult to find an individual photocatalyst that satisfies all the requirements for an exceptional photocatalyst, such as high redox ability, narrow bandgap energy, and efficient charge-separation. The artificial heterogeneous z-scheme photocatalytic systems made by amalgama of two or more photocatalysts are a replica of the natural photosynthesis process that enables the materials to overcome the shortcomings of a single component photocatalyst. In this study, the correlation between the photocatalytic performance of Bi2MoO6/Ag3PO4 and their varied physical and chemical characteristics is investigated. The Bi2MoO6/Ag3PO4 z-scheme is of particular interest for its exceptional photocatalytic performance, as reported by previous investigators. Surface morphology, interface, and composition between component photocatalysts play a significant role in efficient light absorption and charge separation. Therefore the purpose of this study is to design, synthesize, and test the best configuration of Bi2MoO6/ Ag3PO4 and further improve upon an already impressive performance. We synthesized Bi2MoO6/Ag3PO4 z-scheme composite through a facile in-situ chemical method. The crystallinity, morphology, microstructure, and light absorption wavelength range are characterized using, x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), transfer electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Finally, photocatalytic performance is evaluated and reported by degrading Methylene Blue (MB) under a solar simulator with UV and visible wavelengths.

Microstructural effects on photocatalytic performance in Bi2MoO6/Ag3PO4 Z-Scheme systems

2019 Spring National Meeting

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