Rapid Synthesis Method of Ag3PO4 as Reusable Photocatalytically Active Semiconductor

The widespread use of Ag3PO4 is not surprising when considering its higher photostability compared to other silver-based materials. The present work deals with the facile precipitation method of silver phosphate. The effects of four different phosphate sources (H3PO4, NaH2PO4, Na2HPO4, Na3PO4·12 H2O) and two different initial concentrations (0.1 M and 0.2 M) were investigated. As the basicity of different phosphate sources influences the purity of Ag3PO4, different products were obtained. Using H3PO4 did not lead to the formation of Ag3PO4, while applying NaH2PO4 resulted in Ag3PO4 and a low amount of pyrophosphate. The morphological and structural properties of the obtained samples were studied by X-ray diffractometry, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the materials and the corresponding reaction kinetics were evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light. Their stability was investigated by reusability tests, photoluminescence measurements, and the recharacterization after degradation. The effect of as-deposited Ag nanoparticles was also highlighted on the photostability and the reusability of Ag3PO4. Although the deposited Ag nanoparticles suppressed the formation of holes and reduced the degradation of methyl orange, they did not reduce the performance of the photocatalyst.