Synthesis and photocatalytic mechanism study of visible light-driven Z-type Ag/AgBr/Bi2MoO6 composite materials for efficient degradation of organic dyes

The synthesis of the Ag/AgBr/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposite was achieved through a facile hydrothermal method combined with in situ photodeposition. Subsequently, its efficacy in catalyzing the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation was systematically investigated. The Bi2MoO6 samples and the Ag/AgBr/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites underwent comprehensive characterization using a suite of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The analyses unveiled a homogeneous distribution of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of AgBr/Bi2MoO6, indicative of the successful formation of the composite. To assess the photocatalytic efficiency, the degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation was employed as a benchmark. Notably, the incorporation of Ag nanosheets, serving as electron mediators and Schottky barriers, facilitated efficient electron transfer between Bi2MoO6 and AgBr. Consequently, the photocatalytic activity of the ternary Z-type heterogeneous Ag/AgBr/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites surpassed that of the pure Bi2MoO6 and AgBr samples. Remarkably, under 12 minutes of visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of the Ag/AgBr/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites reached an impressive 99.99%.