Preparation of Noble Metal Ag Modified BiVO4 Nanosheets and Study on the Degradation Performance of Tetracycline

The noble metal Ag Modified BiVO4 (Ag-BVO) composite photocatalytic was synthesized by photodeposition technology. The as-prepared photocatalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, UV-vis DRS and electrochemistry measurement. The results indicated small size of noble metal Ag distributes on BiVO4 nanosheet surface uniformly, and exhibited more superior photocatalytic performance for tetracycline (TC) degrading than that of BiVO4. As a consequence, the improved degradation efficiency of Ag-BVO attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of precious metal Ag effectively broadens the visible light response range of the catalyst, and forms Schottky barrier at the interface between Ag and BiVO4 as the electron capture center to enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. In addition, radical trapping experiment and ESR spectroscopy show that ∙O2- is the main active species in the degradation process. This work may provide a promising approach for synthesizing BiVO4-based photocatalyst by the plant growing guide and application in wastewater treatment.