Preparation and Photocatalytic Mechanism of Ag3PO4/SnO2 Composite Photocatalyst

A simple hydrothermal conversion method for the preparation of Ag 3 PO 4 /SnO 2 composite photocatalyst has been developed. The morphological properties of the nanocomposites are studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and other methods. Different properties of catalysts are prepared by adjusting the temperature of hydrothermal reaction and the volume ratio. The prepared photocatalyst is tested by degradation of tetracycline solution under visible light show that the degradation rate of tetracycline can reach 74% when the initial [Ag 3 PO 4 ]/[SnO 2 ] molar ratio is 15 and the temperature is 140 ∘ C. Moreover, by constructing Ag 3 PO 4 /SnO 2 composite structure, the impedance and photocurrent of material are enhanced significantly according to the electrochemical characterization.