Boosted Photocatalytic Activities of AgCrO through Eu-Doping Process.

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.