Rapid Synthesis Method of Ag3PO4 as Reusable Photocatalytically Active Semiconductor

Zsejke-Réka Tóth; Diána Debreczeni; Tamás Gyulavári; István Székely; Milica Todea; Gábor Kovács; Monica Focșan; Klara Magyari; Lucian Baia; Zsolt Pap; Klara Hernadi

doi:10.3390/nano13010089

Rapid Synthesis Method of Ag₃PO₄ as Reusable Photocatalytically Active Semiconductor

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022 Dec 24;13(1):89. doi: 10.3390/nano13010089.

Authors

Zsejke-Réka Tóth^{1

2

3}, Diána Debreczeni¹, Tamás Gyulavári¹, István Székely^{2

3}, Milica Todea^{2

4}, Gábor Kovács⁵, Monica Focșan⁶, Klara Magyari², Lucian Baia^{2

7

8}, Zsolt Pap^{1

2

8}, Klara Hernadi^{1

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla sqr. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary.
² Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian str. 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
³ Doctoral School in Physics, Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, M. Kogălniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Victor Babeş 8, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
⁵ Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 1C, 530104 Târgu Mureș/Corunca, Romania.
⁶ Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Treboniu Laurian str. 42, Babes-Bolyai University, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
⁷ Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, M. Kogălniceanu str. 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
⁸ Institute of Research-Development-Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Fântânele str. 30, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
⁹ Institute of Physical Metallurgy, Metal Forming and Nanotechnology, University of Miskolc, Miskolc-Egyetemváros, 3515 Miskolc, Hungary.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: photocatalysis; photoluminescence; precipitation method; reusability; silver phosphate.

Grants and funding

K. Magyari: Zs. Pap and G. Kovács acknowledge the financial support of the Bolyai János fellowship.