TITLE:
High-Performance Room-Light-Driven β-AgVO3/mpg-C3N4 Core/Shell Photocatalyst Prepared by Mechanochemical Method
AUTHORS:
Hendrik Kosslick, Yingyong Wang, M. Farooq Ibad, Xiangyun Guo, Matthias Lütgens, Stefan Lochbrunner, Marcus Frank, Nguyen Quang Liem, Axel Schulz
KEYWORDS:
Carbonitrides, Photocatalysis, Visible Light, Water Treatment, Mineralization, Core-Shell Catalyst, Silver Vanadate
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science,
Vol.11 No.4,
October
20,
2021
ABSTRACT: A new
highly efficient, visible light active, silver vanadate/polymeric carbonitride
“core/shell” photocatalyst was prepared mechano-chemically prepared by grinding
mixtures of β-silver vanadate and
mesoporous graphitic carbonitride. Besides the core/shell photocatalyst, β-silver vanadate/mesoporous polymeric
carbonitride composites and supported mpg-C3N4@β-silver vanadates were prepared. The
materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen ad- and de-sorption, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis measurement (DRS), infrared
spectroscopy, Raman microscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence
spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performance of the materials was investigated
in the degradation of organics using pharmaceutical ibuprofen and 4-(isobutyl
phenyl) propionic acid sodium salt as model compounds under batch conditions.
Reaction intermediates were studied by electrospray ionization and
time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS). Additionally, the degree of
mineralization was determined by total organic carbon TOC measurements. The core/shell
photocatalyst has shown superior photocatalytic activity compared to the other
prepared composites or supported photocatalysts as well as the single mpg-C3N4.
Scavenger experiments showed that valence band holes and anionic superoxide radicals are the main active
species in the photocatalytic process. TOC measurement confirmed the mineralization
of the organic compound, which was in line with ESI-TOF-MS experiments.
Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements indicated that charges generated
in carbonitride migrate via diffusive hopping and exhibit increased mobility in
the case of the silver vanadate/polymeric carbonitride composite.