Comparison of photocatalytic activities of two kinds of lead magnesium niobate for decomposition of organic compounds under visible-light irradiation

Two new oxide photocatalysts in the Pb–Mg–Nb ternary system, Pb3MgNb2O9 (PMN) and Pb1.83Mg0.29Nb1.71O6.39, have been synthesized, and their photophysical and photocatalytic properties were investigated for the first time. The band gaps of PMN and Pb1.83Mg0.29Nb1.71O6.39 were estimated to be 3.2 and 2.8 eV, respectively, from their absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activity evaluated from the decomposition of 2-propanol into acetone under visible-light irradiation indicated that Pb1.83Mg0.29Nb1.71O6.39 exhibited at least 20 times higher activity than PMN and has a strong oxidizing potential to mineralize organic compounds.