Facile synthesis of Ag2CO3/Ag2O@NiFe LDH nanohetrostructure with enhanced photocatalytic performance for MB dye degradation under visible light irradiation

The photocatalyst Ag2CO3/Ag2O@NiFe LDH nanocomposite was synthesized successfully by a facile co-precipitation method followed by hydrothermal treatment. The as-prepared photocatalyst demonstrated excellent physicochemical and optical properties using various characterization techniques. It was found that the photodegradation performance of NiFe LDH for MB dye removal can be significantly improved by appropriate Ag incorporation. The optimal composite which had a 0.75 Ag molar ratio demonstrated superior degradation performance for MB dye reaching 99.5%. The degradation efficiency was three times higher compared to pure NiFe LDH. Additionally, the apparent rate constant (0.028 min−1) was approximately 28 times greater than that of the pure LDH (0.001 min−1). After 5 successive cycles, the composite exhibited 73% degradation efficiency reflecting its high photostability throughout the regeneration process. The synthesized photocatalyst exhibited exceptional properties, indicating its promising potential for industrial applications in the treatment of dye wastewater. [Display omitted] •Ag2O/Ag2CO3@NiFe LDH heterostructures were successfully synthesized via coprecipitation followed by hydrothermal treatment.•Ag content of 0.75 exhibited the best photocatalytic performance.•Holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (O2•−) were the main active species responsible for the MB dye degradation.