Trace Ag 2 CO 3 (0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%) was loaded on commercial TiO 2 crystals by a facile precipitation method. The obtained Ag 2 CO 3 /TiO 2 composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photolimunescence (PL) spectroscopy, and UV−vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Under UV light (λ = 254 nm) or visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic performance of the samples was tested in degradation of methyl orange (MO). Results showed that loading of 1 wt % Ag 2 CO 3 results in the best photocatalytic activity. Under UV or visible light irradiation, the degradation activity of 1%Ag 2 CO 3 /TiO 2 composite is 6 times that of TiO 2 and 4 times that of Ag 2 CO 3 or 3.4 times that of TiO 2 and 1.7 times that of Ag 2 CO 3 . Reasons for enhanced activity were found that the coupling of Ag 2 CO 3 promoted the visible light absorption and suppressed the recombination rate of e − /h + pairs. Moreover, more surface OH groups over the Ag 2 CO 3 /TiO 2 composite can react with the photogenerated h + and produce • OH radicals to decompose the dye.
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