Microwave hydrothermal synthesis of Ag 2 CrO 4 photocatalyst for fast degradation of PCP-Na under visible light irradiation

Visible-light-active Ag2CrO4 photocatalysts were first synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal (MH) method, which is highly efficient (180°C for only 1h). The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, Zeta potential and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of Ag2CrO4 was evaluated by the degradation of PCP-Na aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) (about 98.2% after 5h of irradiation) showed that the mineralization of PCP-Na over Ag2CrO4 photocatalysts was realized. Additionally, the possible photocatalytic mechanism of the Ag2CrO4 was proposed to elucidate its superior photocatalytic activity.