The photocatalytic reduction of U(VI) by Ag-doped SnS2 materials under visible light

Abstract

Abstract Efficient degradation of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) in wastewater is an urgent problem because of the chemical toxicity and radiotoxicity. In this study, the Agx–SnS2 photocatalysts were compounded by a simple hydrothermal method, effectively removing U(VI) under visible light in water. Compared with SnS2, the results indicated that Agx–SnS2 would decrease the crystallinity without destroying the crystal structure. Moreover, it has excellent photocatalytic performance on the degradation rate of U(VI). Ag0.5–SnS2 exhibited a prominent photocatalytic reduction efficiency of UO22+ of about 86.4% under optical light for 75 min. This was attributed to Ag-doped catalysts, which can narrow the band gap and enhance absorption in visible light. Meanwhile, the doping of Ag promoted the separation of photoinduced carriers, so that more photogenerated charges participated in the photocatalytic reaction. The stability and reusability were verified by the cycle test and the potential photocatalytic mechanism was analyzed based on the experiment.