Construction of 3D sponge-like hierarchical pore Ag10Si4O13 microblock photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activities.

Designing efficient visible light photocatalysts is targeted to improve the solar utilization to ameliorate environmental problems. Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 has great application potential due to a narrow band gap and the existence of internal electric field（spontaneous polarization electric field inside the crystal）. Here, a novel and convenient synthetic strategy based on sol-gel method and template method was proposed to fabricate 3D sponge-like hierarchical pore Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 (HPA) microblock with enhanced photocatalytic activities. The group multiple coordination is conducive to further improve the dispersion of Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 precursor around polystyrene (PS) microsphere. Weak sintering between nano-Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 particles ensured the formation of sponge skeleton structure. Compared with Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 , HPA showed enhanced separation efficiency of electron hole pairs due to the carbon doping. And the uniform and well-developed pore structures further improved the photocatalytic performance. As a result, HPA (P-5) exhibited a degradation efficiency of 98.98% at 30 min under visible light, and an excellent cycle performance were obtained. The proposed strategy provides an important reference for the preparation of easily recoverable microblock photocatalyst. [Display omitted] • Green synthesis methods, keeping synthesis and environmental impact to a low threshold. • Multi-coordination between Ag 10 Si 4 O 13 precursor and PS resulting in a 3D sponge-like hierarchical pore. • Dual function of internal electric field and C doping enhanced photogenerated carrier separation efficiency of Ag 10 Si 4 O 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]