Barium-Impregnated Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> for Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange

In this study, we highlight the use of the alkaline earth metal barium (Ba) for the impregnation of Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> (AgP). AgP was synthesized via co-precipitation and subsequently impregnated with a Ba<sup>2</sup>⁺-containing solution, followed by hy...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Habiba Khiar, Fatima Zahra Janani, M’hamed Sadiq, Ghadah M. Al-Senani, Salhah D. Al-Qahtani, Noureddine Barka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Ceramics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6131/8/2/44
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Summary:In this study, we highlight the use of the alkaline earth metal barium (Ba) for the impregnation of Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> (AgP). AgP was synthesized via co-precipitation and subsequently impregnated with a Ba<sup>2</sup>⁺-containing solution, followed by hydrothermal treatment to obtain Ba-AgP. The addition of barium significantly influenced both the crystallinity and crystallite size. Ba impregnation enhanced the crystallinity of AgP and promoted the growth of its crystallites. It was confirmed that Ba<sup>2</sup>⁺ was homogeneously distributed on the surface of AgP, with only a slight effect on particle shape. Ba-impregnated Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> (Ba-AgP) exhibited improved photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light compared to bare AgP. The optimal impregnation concentration of Ba<sup>2</sup>⁺ was determined to be 6%. This enhancement is attributed to the role of Ba<sup>2+</sup> in facilitating the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which also contributed to the improved stability of AgP. The active species h<sup>+</sup>, ·OH, and O<sub>2</sub>·<sup>−</sup> were all identified as essential for the MO degradation process, with h<sup>+</sup> being the most significant contributor.
ISSN:2571-6131