High photocatalytic degradation efficiency of oxytetracycline hydrochloride over Ag/AgCl/BiVO4 plasmonic photocatalyst.

A series of ternary Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 photocatalysts with different UV light reduction time were synthesized. All the samples were investigated and characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, PL and so on. The results of UV–Vis DRS and PL demonstrated that the ternary photocatalysts exhibited higher absorption in visible light region. And from the XRD patterns, it could be inferred that with the increase of illumination time, the content of metallic Ag on the surface of ternary photocatalysts increased. In the ternary photocatalyst system, Ag nanoparticles acted as the electron mediator and induced the surface plasmon resonance to facilite the photocatalytic activity of as-obtained ternary photocatalysts. During the photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline hydrochloride, the 1 h-Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 photocatalyst showed the best degradation activity, and the main active species participating in the reaction were holes and superoxide radicals. According to the experimental results, the 1 h-Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and effectively degraded OTC under a wide pH range condition or co-existing ions. The experimental results provided a scientific basis for the practical application of the 1 h-Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 photocatalyst, especially for the treatment of antibiotics in the water. Image 1 • The flower-like sphere Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 plasmonic photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. • Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4 with one hour ultraviolet irradiation displayed superior photocatalytic activity. • Influence factor study revealed that pH, Cu2+ and NO 3 - are favourable to photocatalytic degradation of OTC by Ag/AgCl/BiVO 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]