Preparation and characterisation of Ag3PO4/BiOBr composites with enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic performance

Ag3PO4/BiOBr composites were prepared by a facile room temperature liquid phase method. The samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photodegrading methylene blue under visible light irradiation. The results show that Ag3PO4/BiOBr composites were successfully formed and the Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were randomly distributed on the surface of BiOBr nanosheets. The composites exhibit better visible light absorption ability, and the PL results show that the composites have enhanced photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. The best photocatalytic performance is obtained for the sample with Ag/Bi ratio of 0·5, the photocatalytic efficiency of which is six times that of BiOBr. The improvement of the photocatalytic activity is associated with the coupling effects of the two semiconductors.