Enhanced photodegradation performance based on surface plasmonic resonance effect of Ag/Ca2Al2SiO7: Pr3+ ultraviolet long afterglow driven in photo-Fenton system

Long afterglow photocatalyst has shown the potential to support all-weather photocatalytic reactions. In this work, an Ag/Ca2Al2SiO7: Pr3+ (Ag/CASO: Pr3+) composite has been synthesized to enhance afterglow-driven photocatalytic activity. Ag loading introduces the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect to increase light absorption capacity. It extends the afterglow duration and improves the afterglow intensity via the storage and release of hot electrons. The Schottky junction between Ag and CASO: Pr3+ inhibits the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes and increase the active sites in photocatalytic reactions. The photodegradation performance of Ag/CASO: Pr3+ was increased by up to 6.6-fold compared to CASO: Pr3+ under afterglow driven. The concentration of active species was further increased by adding Fe3+ and H2O2 to construct the Fenton system. Ag/CASO: Pr3+ can achieve a 55% removal rate of TC and 60% removal rate of NFX under its own afterglow-driven within 1 h after 10 min of ultraviolet light irradiation. This work expands the use of long afterglow luminescence materials and advances the development of all-weather photocatalytic technology.