Ag nanoparticle-decorated biscuit-like Bi24O31Cl10 hierarchical microstructure composed of ultrathin nanoflake with outstanding photocatalytic activity

Fabrication of noble-metal nanoparticle decorated hierarchical heterostructure photocatalyst composed of ultrathin nanoflake can be considered as one of the most effective approach for enhancing the photocatalytic performance due to its unique micro-scale structure and functional combination. Therefore, we report the successful preparation of Ag nanoparticle-decorated biscuit-like Bi24O31Cl10 hierarchical microstructure through a facile solution-phase synthesis route. Experiment indicated that the Bi24O31Cl10 product was comprised of ultrathin nanoflake with thickness of 5-10 nm. After introducing Ag nanoparticle, the as-obtained Ag-Bi24O31Cl10 nanocomposite exhibited improved photocatalytic performance for the decolorization of rhodamine B in comparison to pure Bi24O31Cl10 sample. The amount of Ag in the heterostructure photocatalyst significantly influenced the photocatalytic efficiency, and 4 wt% Ag exhibited the best photocatalytic performance. In addition, an enhanced mechanism of photo-degradation activity over Ag nanoparticle-decorated biscuit-like Bi24O31Cl10 hierarchical microstructure was proposed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.