Silver phosphate–bacterial cellulose nanocomposites as visible light photocatalyst for wastewater purification
Topic(s) : Material science
Co-authors :
Amruth KAITHERI (ITALY), Sanosh KUNJALUKKAL PADMANABHAN , Sudipto PAL , Mariangela STOPPA , Antonio Alessandro LICCIUILLIAbstract :
Amruth Kaitheri (a), Sanosh Kunjalukkal Padmanabhan (a), Sudipto Pal (a), Mariangela Stoppa (a b), Antonio Licciulli (a,c)
Silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) nanoparticles were combined with bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibrils to develop a durable, efficient, and reusable photocatalyst responsive to visible light. Bacterial cellulose was proposed to enhance the photocatalytic capability of silver phosphate by facilitating dye adsorption and prolonging charge recombination time when exposed to visible light, thus improving the performance of the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst. Using a solution-precipitation technique, BC-Ag3PO4 composite materials (BCAgP) were produced in varied ratios of BC to Ag3PO4. Crystalline Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed among the nanostructured BC frameworks. Dye degradation under solar light was used to assess the photocatalytic performance of the BCAgP composites. Among the various weight ratios examined, the composite with a BC to Ag3PO4 ratio of 1:4 (BCAgP14) outperformed both the other weight ratios and pure Ag3PO4. In addition, after four cycles, this sample maintained photocatalytic activity, showing its stability in the presence of light. The BCAgP14 composite improved photocatalytic performance was attributed to the higher loading of Ag3PO4 and to its higher capacity to absorb visible light.
Silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) nanoparticles were combined with bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibrils to develop a durable, efficient, and reusable photocatalyst responsive to visible light. Bacterial cellulose was proposed to enhance the photocatalytic capability of silver phosphate by facilitating dye adsorption and prolonging charge recombination time when exposed to visible light, thus improving the performance of the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst. Using a solution-precipitation technique, BC-Ag3PO4 composite materials (BCAgP) were produced in varied ratios of BC to Ag3PO4. Crystalline Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed among the nanostructured BC frameworks. Dye degradation under solar light was used to assess the photocatalytic performance of the BCAgP composites. Among the various weight ratios examined, the composite with a BC to Ag3PO4 ratio of 1:4 (BCAgP14) outperformed both the other weight ratios and pure Ag3PO4. In addition, after four cycles, this sample maintained photocatalytic activity, showing its stability in the presence of light. The BCAgP14 composite improved photocatalytic performance was attributed to the higher loading of Ag3PO4 and to its higher capacity to absorb visible light.