Preparation of Ag3PO4/α-Fe2O3 hybrid powders and their visible light catalytic performances

The inefficiency of conventional photocatalytic treatment for removing rhodamine B is posing potential risks to ecological environments. Here, we construct a highly efficient photocatalyst consisting of Ag3PO4 and alpha-Fe2O3 hybrid powders for the treatment of rhodamine B. Ag3PO4 nanoparticles (nanoparticles, about 50 nm) are uniformly dispersed on the surface of alpha-Fe2O3 microcrystals (hexagonal sheet, about 1.5 mu m). The Ag3PO4-deposited uniformity on the alpha-Fe2O3 surface first increased, then decreased on increasing the hybrid ratio of Ag3PO4 to alpha-Fe2O3. When the hybrid ratio of Ag3PO4 to alpha-Fe2O3 is 1 : 2, the distribution of Ag3PO4 particles on the sheet alpha-Fe2O3 is more uniform with excellent Ag3PO4/alpha-Fe2O3 interface performance. The catalytic degradation efficiency of hybrids with the introduction of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on the alpha-Fe2O3 surface reached 95%. More importantly, the hybrid material exhibits superior photocatalytic stability. Ag3PO4/alpha-Fe2O3 hybrids have good reusability, and the photocatalytic efficiency could still reach 72% after four reuses. The excellent photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared hybrids can be attributed to the heterostructure between Ag3PO4 and alpha-Fe2O3, which can effectively inhibit the photoelectron-hole recombination and broaden the visible light response range.