Facile fabrication of AgI/Sb2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic performance for efficient degradation of organic pollutants in water

The construction of heterojunction is considered as a promising approach to designing highly effective visible-light driven photocatalysts. In this research, the AgI/Sb2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple in situ deposition-precipitation procedure, which was supported by XPS results. Among the prepared samples, the 60% AgI/Sb2O3 samples exhibited the best ARG degradation ratio (98.3%) in 1 h under visible light irradiation, while the pure Sb2O3 and AgI exhibited almost none photocatalytic performance. The trapping experiments and EPR proved that the photo-generated ·O2− and ·OH made major contributions to the photocatalytic degradation of ARG by the 60% AgI/Sb2O3 samples. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of AgI/Sb2O3 heterojunction photocatalysts was ascribed to that the e− produced in the CB of AgI would be transferred to the empty CB of Sb2O3, which could effectively promote separation of photo-induced carries. More importantly, the transfer of electrons from AgI to Sb2O3 would be in favor of restraining the reduction of Ag+ to Ag0 resulting in the good stability of heterojunction photocatalysts. The heterojunction photocatalyst provided in this work might be a prospective candidate for decontamination of water. •The AgI/Sb2O3 heterojunction was fabricated by a facile in situ deposition-precipitation method.•Heterojunction enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic performance for degradation of ARG.•The transfer of electrons from AgI to Sb2O3 resulted in the good stability of photocatalysts.