Synthesis of Ag-loaded Sb2WO6 microsphere with enhanced photocatalytic ability for organic dyes degradations under different light irradiations

In this study, the Ag-loaded Sb2WO6 photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The as-prepared Ag-loaded Sb2WO6 microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high angle annular dark-field transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. Results indicate that metallic Ag was successfully grown on Sb2WO6. The photo catalytic activities of the Ag-Sb2WO6 photocatalysts were evaluated by degradations of MO, RhB and MB under UV light and visible light. It is found that the photocatalytic activity is excellent and superior after the decoration of the metallic Ag nanoparticles. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.