Photocatalytic Degradation of Basic Red in Aqueous Medium by Ag3PO4

The semiconductor Ag₃PO₄ was successfully used for the photo-degradation of Basic Red (BR), a hazardous and recalcitrant dye. The Ag₃PO₄ was prepared by precipitation route and characterized by X-ray diffraction XRD, SEM / EDS. The quenching experiments were carried and the results demonstrate that the radical OH^∙ is the responsible active specie for the BR photooxidation. The solar photocatalysis over the Ag₃PO₄ exhibits an increased performance in the BR degradation due to activation by the UV_A part of the solar light. An elimination conversion of 97% was obtained after 4 h at room temperature for a BR concentration of 20 mg/L.