Fabrication and photocatalytic activity of a novel porous AgBr microstructure

A novel porous AgBr microstructure with an average diameter of 1–4 μm was prepared for the first time through a facile two-step method, including the formation of AgBr/AgCl alloyed materials and the subsequent removal of AgCl. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were utilized to characterize the morphology, phase structure and elemental composition of the as-prepared products, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared products was investigated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation. The porous AgBr microstructure significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity compared with AgCl and AgBr/AgCl alloys. The porous AgBr photocatalyst has potential application on pollutant degradation under sunlight.