Plasmonic Ag-promoted layered perovskite oxyhalide Bi4NbO8Cl for enhanced photocatalytic performance towards water decontamination

Layered perovskite oxyhalide Bi4NbO8Cl has been reported as a stable photocatalyst for the organic pollutant removal. In this work, Bi4NbO8Cl was synthesized using liquid-combustion approach, and an efficient Ag/Bi4NbO8Cl photocatalyst was prepared via photo-deposition method. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) display that metallic Ag nanoparticles (∼10 nm) are uniformly distributed on the surface of Bi4NbO8Cl. Owing to a shift of the valence and conduction band and band-gap narrowing, demonstrated by UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and Mott-Schottky results, the Ag/Bi4NbO8Cl show enhanced photocatalytic degradation of RhB with almost 100% within 3 h. Photogenerated holes (h+) are foremost active specie responsible for the degradation of RhB via the capture agent test. The improvement of photocatalytic performance of 3% Ag/Bi4NbO8Cl could be attributed to the synergetic effect of the surface plasmon resonance and electron sinkers by Ag nanoparticles, strengthening the visible-light absorption ability, as well as promoting the separation efficiency of charge carriers, which are beneficial for enhancing photocatalytic performance. The present work provides a promising insight into the design Bi-based photocatalysts to solve environmental pollution. •Novel Ag/Bi4NbO8Cl photocatalyst is prepared using photo-deposition method.•Plasmonic Ag can strengthen the visible-light absorption ability and enhance photocatalytic performance of layered Bi4NbO8Cl.•Ag QDs in the Ag/Bi4NbO8Cl system can act as electron trap to promote separation of the photoexcited hole-electron pairs.