Ag2CO3 Decorating BiOCOOH Microspheres with Enhanced Full-Spectrum Photocatalytic Activity for the Degradation of Toxic Pollutants

Abstract

The development of excellent full-spectrum photocatalysts is of vital significance to its practical application in environmental remediation. Herein, flower-like Ag2CO3/BiOCOOH type I heterostructures were prepared via a facile method and exhibited powerful photocatalytic activity by removing various toxic pollutants (rhodamine B, methyl blue, and tetracycline hydrochloride) under simulated sunlight irradiation. The boosted photocatalytic performance is attributed to the expanded range of the absorption spectrum and alleviated separation rate of the photo-induced electrons and holes. The photoluminescence spectra and trapping experiment were applied to clarify the photocatalytic reaction mechanism of Ag2CO3/BiOCOOH. The holes and •O2− were detected as the dominant reactive species involved in pollutant degradation. This work provides a novel full-spectrum-driven photocatalyst of Ag2CO3/BiOCOOH, which could effectively degrade toxic pollutants under simulated sunlight.