Visible Light Response Photocatalytic Performance of Z‑Scheme Ag3PO4/GO/UiO–66–NH2 Photocatalysts for the Levofloxacin Hydrochloride

• Published in: Langmuir 2021-11, Vol.37 (45), p.13309-13321
• Main Authors: Zhu, Pengfei, Lin, Jinru, Xie, Lisi, Duan, Ming, Chen, Dandan, Luo, Dan, Wu, Yongting
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01901

A Ag3PO4/GO/UiO–66–NH2(AGU) composite photocatalyst was prepared by an ultrasonic-assisted in situ precipitation method. The optical property, structure, composition, and morphology of photocatalysts were investigated using UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and charge flow tracking by photodeposition of Pt and PbO2 nanoparticles. In comparison with Ag3PO4 and Ag3PO4/UiO–66–NH2(AU), the AGU composite photocatalyst showed heightened photocatalytic performance for the degradation of levofloxacin hydrochloride (LVF). The AGU photocatalyst (dosage: 0.8 g/L) with 1% mass content of graphene oxide (GO), the mass ratio of Ag3PO4 and UiO–66–NH2(U66N) reached 2:1, showed the highest photodegradation rate of 94.97% for 25 mg/L LVF after 60 min of visible light irradiation at pH = 6. The formation of a heterojunction and the addition of GO synergistically promote faster separation of electron–hole pairs, retain more active substances, and enhance the performance of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, the mechanism of the Z-scheme of the AGU composite photocatalytic is proposed.