SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
A novel Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 fiber composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability†
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Abstract
A novel Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 fiber composite was fabricated through depositing Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on Nb2O5 fiber surfaces through a facile depositing precipitation approach. The as-prepared Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 photocatalyst was characterized through XRD, SEM, XPS and UV-Vis measurements. SEM results show that biomorphic Nb2O5 fibers have a wrinkled surface and porous walls. The special morphology of the Nb2O5 fibers provided a large amount of voids and interfaces in favor of decorating with Ag3PO4 nanocrystals. The Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 composite photocatalyst exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B than pure Ag3PO4 under simulated sunlight. Such superior photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to enhanced visible light absorption and effective separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs derived from the Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 heterojunction. No loss of photocatalytic activity has been observed after four recycles. Moreover, the large size of the Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 composite allows it to be easily separated from the solution.
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