A straightforward synthesis of visible light driven BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposites with improved photocatalytic activity.

Herein, an efficient visible-light-driven BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposite was effectively fabricated via a facile co-precipitation procedure. The physicochemical properties of BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposites were investigated via Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), UV visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoelectrochemical studies (PEC). The photocatalytic activity (PCA) of BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposites was assessed with regard to the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) when subjected to visible light irradiation (VLI). Upon 90 min of illumination, the optimal 3%-BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposite showed a greater photocatalytic degradation, which was ∼3 times higher than the bare AgVO. The lower PL intensity of 3%-BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposite exposed the low recombination rate, which improved the photo-excited charge carriers separation efficiency. The experimental outcomes showed that the BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposite might be an encouraging material for treatment of industrial and metropolitan wastewater. Moreover, a plausible RhB degradation mechanism was proposed proving the participation of the generated OH and O radicals in the degradation over BiFeO/AgVO nanocomposite.