Excellent fabrication of Pd-Ag NPs/PSi photocatalyst based on bimetallic nanoparticles for improving methylene blue photocatalytic degradation

A Pd-Ag nanoparticles (NPs)/macro porous silicon (macroPSi) hetero structure based on plasmonic bimetallic photocatalyst was used to improve the activity of the methylene blue (MB) degradation. The Pd-Ag NPs/macroPSi photocatalyst efficiency was compared with that of the as prepared macroPSi, Ag NPs/macroPSi and Pd NPs/macroPSi hetero structures to study the effect of Schottky alone and on the synergistic effect of Schottky and plasmonic. The modification of macroPSi was carried out through deposition of monometallic and bimetallic NPs of Ag and Pd, via simple immersion process. The structural properties of the photocatalysts were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The influence of monometallic and bimetallic NPs on the Photocatalytic activity was tested under ultraviolet light illumination. The results showed that the Photocatalytic activity of Pd-Ag NPs/macroPSi photocatalyst is higher than that of as-prepared macroPSi, Ag NPs/macroPSi, Pd NPs/macroPSi photocatalysts. The maximum Photocatalytic efficiency of (98.8%) and a degradation rate of (0.033 min(-1)) were obtained by using Pd-Ag NPs/macroPSi photo catalyst.