Efficient Fe3O4-C3N4-Ag2MoO4 ternary photocatalyst: Synthesis, outstanding light harvesting, and superior hydroxyl radical productivity for boosted photocatalytic performance

Novel Fe3O4-C3N4-Ag2MoO4 series photocatalysts were designed and successfully synthesized. UV vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) indicated that the Fe3O4-C3N4-Ag2MoO4 ternary system efficiently enlarged the light absorption range from 360 nm to 550 nm in comparison with that of pristine Ag2MoO4. The hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) probe experiment suggested that the formation of C3N4-Ag2MoO4 heterojunction efficiently produced the powerful center dot OH, and the load of Fe3O4 further increased the amount of center dot OH. The photocatalytic performances of as-prepared samples were evaluated by degrading 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP), which only can be degraded in the presence of center dot OH radicals. The degradation results suggested that Fe3O4-C3N4-Ag2MoO4 ternary system showed outstanding photocatalytic performance in comparison with that of C3N4-Ag2MoO4, and inactive Ag2MoO4. The mechanism of enhanced center dot OH productivity was also discussed. This study proved that novel Fe3O4-heterojunction system could efficiently enhance the light harvesting and the productivity of center dot OH, which could be a potential strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic performance.