Microwave assisted construction of Ag-AgBr/reduced TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance for degradation of 4-chlorphenol

Abstract There is an increasingly significant issue on decomposition of contaminants in modern chemical industry and environmental protection. Hence, in the study, to improve the catalytic of semiconductor materials, the silver-silver bromide nanoparticles decorated reduced TiO 2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode (Ag-AgBr/r-TiO 2 NTAs), which exhibits better photocatalytic (PC) performance in the wide range of solar spectra, was successfully fabricated by anodization process, followed by microwave reduction strategy. The partly reduced AgBr nanoparticles are decorated and both Ti 3+ and O v states are simultaneously introduced in the TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrode inducing the formation of impurity energy level to form Ag-AgBr/r-TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrode. Moreover, PC activity of Ag-AgBr/r-TiO 2 NTAs photoelelctrode was measured by degradation of 4-chlorphenol (4-CP). Results suggest that Ag-AgBr/r-TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrode exhibits higher PC activity (99.9%) than that of other samples within 120 min illumination. The well combination of surface plasmons Ag-AgBr nanoparticles and r-TiO 2 NTAs was responsible for the enhancing of PC, and the recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes can simultaneously be inhibited. Thus, Ag-AgBr nanoparticles and Ti 3+ exert huge influence on the PC and photoelectrochemical properties of Ag-AgBr/r-TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrode.