Visible Light Motivated the Photocatalytic Degradation of P-Nitrophenol by Ca2+-Doped AgInS2

Abstract

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is considered a priority organic pollutant with high toxicity. Many authors have been committed to developing efficient, green, and environmentally friendly technological processes to treat wastewater containing 4-NP. Here, we investigated how the addition of Ca²⁺ affects the catalytic degradation of 4-NP with AgInS₂ when exposed to light. We synthesized AgInS₂ (AIS) and Ca²⁺-doped AgInS₂ (Ca-AIS) with varying amounts of Ca²⁺ using a low-temperature liquid phase method. The SEM, XRD, XPS, HRTEM, BET, PL, and UV-Vis DRS characteristics were employed to analyze the structure, morphology, and optical properties of the materials. The effects of different amounts of Ca²⁺ on the photocatalytic degradation of 4-NP were investigated. Under visible light illumination for a duration of 120 min, a degradation rate of 63.2% for 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) was achieved. The results showed that doping with an appropriate amount of Ca²⁺ could improve the visible light catalytic activity of AIS. This work provides an idea for finding suitable cheap alkaline earth metal doping agents to replace precious metals for the improvement of photocatalytic activities.