Preparation of Ag(3)PO(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) hybrid powders and their visible light catalytic performances

The inefficiency of conventional photocatalytic treatment for removing rhodamine B is posing potential risks to ecological environments. Here, we construct a highly efficient photocatalyst consisting of Ag(3)PO(4) and α-Fe(2)O(3) hybrid powders for the treatment of rhodamine B. Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles (nanoparticles, about 50 nm) are uniformly dispersed on the surface of α-Fe(2)O(3) microcrystals (hexagonal sheet, about 1.5 μm). The Ag(3)PO(4)-deposited uniformity on the α-Fe(2)O(3) surface first increased, then decreased on increasing the hybrid ratio of Ag(3)PO(4) to α-Fe(2)O(3). When the hybrid ratio of Ag(3)PO(4) to α-Fe(2)O(3) is 1 : 2, the distribution of Ag(3)PO(4) particles on the sheet α-Fe(2)O(3) is more uniform with excellent Ag(3)PO(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) interface performance. The catalytic degradation efficiency of hybrids with the introduction of Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles on the α-Fe(2)O(3) surface reached 95%. More importantly, the hybrid material exhibits superior photocatalytic stability. Ag(3)PO(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) hybrids have good reusability, and the photocatalytic efficiency could still reach 72% after four reuses. The excellent photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared hybrids can be attributed to the heterostructure between Ag(3)PO(4) and α-Fe(2)O(3,) which can effectively inhibit the photoelectron–hole recombination and broaden the visible light response range.