Super-high photocatalytic activity, stability and improved photocatalytic mechanism of monodisperse AgBr doped with In.

Monodisperse In(3+) doped AgBr (In-AgBr) nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. The pure AgBr and In-AgBr samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, measurement of total organic carbon, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. In-AgBr was more photocatalytically active than pure AgBr in photodegradation of 20 mg/L methyl orange under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm). The 0.05 mol/L In-AgBr sample showed the highest photodegradation efficiency and high stability. The doped In(3+) expanded the light absorption range, reduced the band gap of AgBr and improved the utilization of photons. The additional In(3+) can inhibit the formation of Ag particles on the surface of AgBr, which can further stabilize AgBr. The doped In(3+) in AgBr served as a temporary site for trapping of photoinduced electrons, and thereby obviously restrained the recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs on the surface of AgBr. The enhanced photocatalytic ability of In-AgBr may be mainly attributed to the improved separation efficiency of photogenerated charges.