Preparation of a Novel Ag₃PO₄/Bi-MOF Heterojunction Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants Under Visible Light Irradiation

In this study, a novel photocatalyst composed of silver phosphate (Ag₃PO₄) and bismuth-based organic framework (Bi-MOF) were synthesized via chemical precipitation at room temperature, and the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants under visible light irradiation was conducted to evaluate their photocatalytic performance. The composite materials exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure Bi-MOF and Ag₃PO₄, with APBM-1/1 performing the most effectively. The degradation efficiencies of rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) were 99% and 86.9% within 50 min and 30 min of light exposure, respectively. The construction of a unique p-n heterojunction interface between Ag₃PO₄ and Bi-MOF significantly enhanced the efficiency of interfacial charge separation, leading to exceptional photocatalytic activity. Capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) were conducted, revealing that photogenerated holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻) were the primary active species involved in the degradation reaction. Based on these findings, a plausible mechanism for the photocatalytic process was proposed.