Souza Josiane C, Lemos Samantha C S, Assis Marcelo, Fernandes Carlos H M, Ribeiro Lara K, Núñez-de la Rosa Yeison, Teodoro Márcio D, Gracia Lourdes, Andrés Juan, Mascaro Lucia H, Longo Elson
CDMF, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil.
Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University Jaume I (UJI), Castelló 12071, Spain.
ACS Omega. 2024 Aug 7;9(33):35537-35547. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02683. eCollection 2024 Aug 20.
AgCrO is a representative member of a family of Ag-containing semiconductors with highly efficient visible-light-driven responsive photocatalysts. The doping process with Eu is known to effectively tune their properties, thus opening opportunities for investigations and application. Here, we report the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity and stability of AgCrO by introducing Eucations. The structural, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of AgCrO:Eu ( = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1%) synthesized using the coprecipitation method were systematically discussed, and their photodegradation activity against rhodamine B (RhB), ciprofloxacin hydrochloride monohydrate (CIP), and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was evaluated. Structural analyses reveal a short-range symmetry breaking in the AgCrO lattice after Eu doping, influencing the material morphology, size, and electronic properties. XPS analysis confirmed the incorporation of Eu and alteration of the surface oxygen species. Furthermore, photoluminescence measurements indicated that the doping process was responsible for reducing recombination processes. The sample doped with 0.25% Eu exhibited superior photocatalytic performance compared to pure AgCrO. Scavenger experiments revealed an increase in the degradation via OH reactive species for the sample doped with 0.25% Eu. DFT calculations provided atomic-scale insights into the structural and electronic changes induced by the Eu doping process in the AgCrO host lattice. This study confirms that Eu doping alters the band structure, enabling different degradation paths and boosting the separation/transfer of photogenerated charges, thereby improving the overall photocatalytic performance.
AgCrO是含银半导体家族的代表性成员，具有高效的可见光驱动响应型光催化剂。已知用Eu进行掺杂过程可有效调节其性能，从而为研究和应用创造机会。在此，我们报告了通过引入Eu离子提高了AgCrO的光催化活性和稳定性。系统地讨论了采用共沉淀法合成的AgCrO:Eu（ = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1%）的结构、电子和光催化性能，并评估了它们对罗丹明B（RhB）、盐酸环丙沙星一水合物（CIP）和4-硝基苯酚（4-NP）的光降解活性。结构分析表明，Eu掺杂后AgCrO晶格中出现短程对称性破坏，影响了材料的形貌、尺寸和电子性能。XPS分析证实了Eu的掺入以及表面氧物种的改变。此外，光致发光测量表明掺杂过程有助于减少复合过程。与纯AgCrO相比，掺杂0.25% Eu的样品表现出优异的光催化性能。清除剂实验表明，掺杂0.25% Eu的样品通过OH活性物种的降解增加。DFT计算提供了原子尺度上对Eu掺杂过程在AgCrO主体晶格中引起的结构和电子变化的见解。这项研究证实，Eu掺杂改变了能带结构，实现了不同的降解途径并促进了光生电荷的分离/转移，从而提高了整体光催化性能。
