Abstract:
This work involves the in-situ synthesis and application of a visible-light activated composite catalyst. The
photocatalytic activity of the synthesised photocatalyst was investigated by tracking the degradation of phenol
under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation using a batch reactor set-up. The change in concentration of
phenol was determined using a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC). The synthesised
Ag/AgCl/BiOCl particles were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The particles had a
flower-like morphology and the XRD confirmed the presence of AgCl and BiOCl phases. A color change from
white to purple during the synthesis of the composite catalyst indicated the formation of elemental Ag in the
composite. The BET surface area was 6.64 m2g-1. Degradation studies indicated that the Ag/AgCl/BiOCl
composite synthesised can be activated by visible light resulting in 52% degradation after 4.5 h at a 0.83 gL-1
catalyst loading.
