One-pot, room-temperature synthesis of novel Ag2WO4/AgVO3 composites with high photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation

Background: Energy shortages and environmental pollution are two of the most immediate problems all over the world. Photocatalysis is expanding into energy and environmental applications. Methods: In this study, novel visible-light-driven Ag2WO4/AgVO3 composite photocatalysts were constructed via a one-pot, controllable, ligand-free and eco-friendly approach and analyzed using different techniques. Under visible light irradiation, photocatalytic behavior of type-II heterojunctions in the degradation of levofloxacin hydrochloride is investigated. Significant findings: Various characterizations showed that Ag2WO4 was successfully loaded onto the AgVO3 surface, which improved the separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated charge carriers. Under optimal experimental conditions, the removal efficiency of levofloxacin reached 0.0194 min-1 for the Ag2WO4/ AgVO3 composites with a 3 : 5 mass ratio (3-WV), which was 5.87 and 17.64 times that of pure AgVO3 and Ag2WO4, respectively. The photocatalytic mechanism of typical type-II heterojunction was discussed. Furthermore, possible photodegradation pathway of levofloxacin was comprehensively determined by LC-MS analysis. This work will provide new motivation for the design and synthesis of simple preparation and highly efficient photocatalysts for environmental purification.