Silver niobate-based photocatalysts: Relevance in dye degradation

Abstract

Photocatalysis by semiconductors is a favourable method for degrading toxic pollutants and dyes in water. However, the photocatalysts should have appropriate traits in order to be functional. Silver niobates, especially AgNbO3, are ternary metal oxides, which exhibit photocatalytic properties under visible light. The photocatalytic activity of AgNbO3 can also be improved by doping or coupling with other materials. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to further understand the properties of silver niobates and optimise its photocatalytic performance. The aim of this review is to highlight the significance of AgNbO3-based photocatalysts for use in photocatalytic dye degradation. As such, the recent development of AgNbO3 and AgNbO3-based materials has been discussed. Metal-doping of AgNbO3 has been shown to possess enhanced photocatalytic properties such as reduced band-gap energy and charge carrier recombination rate. Furthermore, AgNbO3-based photocatalysts are compatible with various materials in the formation of composites, including Ag nanoparticles and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). These composites, too, showed great promises in terms of photocatalytic dye degradation. This review also includes the potential areas of improvements to further enhance the applications of the silver niobate-based photocatalysts.