Novel Ag3PO4/CeO2 p-n Hierarchical Heterojunction with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

The composite Ag3PO4/CeO2 photocatlyst, a novel p-n type heterojunction, has been successfully fabricated through a facile hydrothermal process combined with a successive in situ precipitation technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) were used to characterize the as-obtained products. The SEM and TEM image show that CeO2 particles have been successfully loaded and well distributed in the surface of Ag3PO4. The photocatalytic activities of the p-Ag3PO4/n-CeO2 heterojunctions were investigated for their efficiency on the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultra-violet light and visible light irradiation, and the results showed that the p-Ag3PO4/n-CeO2 heterojunctions possessed remarkable photocatalytic activities. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the extended absorption in the visible light region resulting from the Ag3PO4 and the effective separation of photogenerated carriers driven by the internal electrostatic field in the junction region.